F1 news: Five key takeaways from Ferrari’s Belgian Grand Prix as optimism continues to grow

Scuderia Ferrari arrived at Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix looking to build on Charles Leclerc’s win at Silverstone in the first race of a doubleheader before the summer break.

Unfortunately, Ferrari experienced a weekend of mixed results: Leclerc finished second on the podium, whilst Lewis Hamilton faced difficulties after a first-lap collision and penalties, which affected his final position and saw him miss out on a podium finish

Here, Sports News Blitz writer and Ferrari fan Luca Salmasi takes a look at five key takeaways from the Scuderia’s weekend.

Ferrari deliver more than expected

Ferrari expected to struggle at Spa due to the circuit’s long straights, which would expose the car’s lack of outright top speed compared with its competitors.

However, an impressive drive by Leclerc, which included a battle with Kimi Antonelli, saw him finish third ahead of Max Verstappen.

And while Hamilton had a slightly more difficult race, he managed to take the other Ferrari to a fourth-place finish, making it another strong points haul for the Scuderia.

Leclerc starts leading by example

Leclerc seemed to extract everything he could from the Ferrari as a well-timed virtual safety car put him into the race lead and kept him at the front.

Despite finishing second overall, he was able to provide a great battle with Antonelli.

The Monégasque driver’s consistency and ability to maximise his output from the car on a circuit that wasn’t supposed to suit Ferrari underline why he is still a key part of the project alongside team-mate Hamilton.

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Hamilton shows pace despite setbacks

Hamilton’s afternoon at Spa was anything but simple.

A collision with George Russell on the first lap resulted in a controversial five-second penalty, and an investigation into an unsafe release later on added more drama.

Despite these challenges, Hamilton managed a strong comeback, finishing fourth and demonstrating impressive race pace.

His performance also highlighted Ferrari’s continued ability to compete near the front.

Race strategy and team execution

Ferrari’s speed wasn’t solely about raw pace, but also the execution of their strategy.

And although things weren’t perfect, such as with the unsafe release penalty on Hamilton’s pitstop, the team effectively utilised the virtual safety car and made smart calls from the pit wall.

The off-track improvements show that the team’s strategy and operational performance have significantly advanced, now increasingly aligning their race pace with better race management.

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Championship challenge slowly gaining momentum

While Ferrari couldn’t secure the victory from Antonelli, they left Spa with many positives heading into the final race before the summer break in Hungary.

Strong weekends combined with upgrades and double-points finishes indicate that the Scuderia are narrowing the gap to their rivals.

With further developments planned and upcoming circuits expected to favour their car, Ferrari have good reason to believe they can continue challenging for race wins in the second half of the season and remain competitive in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.

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