Another Missed Opportunity for Leclerc in Belgium
Charles Leclerc will have been left frustrated after what turned out to be another missed opportunity at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver showed excellent pace all weekend, storming to pole position in Saturday's Sprint race and again for Sunday's Grand Prix. But once again, Ferrari's weak race pace let them down when it mattered most.
Leclerc got away well from pole, holding the lead in the early laps as Sergio Perez hounded him. But it quickly became apparent that Max Verstappen was charging through the field, picking off car after car as he closed in on the Ferrari.
On Lap 14, Verstappen swept around the outside of Leclerc at Les Combes to take the lead. From then on, Leclerc was a sitting duck as the Red Bull pulled away at will. He was eventually forced to settle for a distant third place, crossing the line 10 seconds behind Perez in second.
It was yet another example of Ferrari's one-lap speed looking mightily impressive, only for the team to fall away badly on race day. Despite all their upgrades and improvements, Ferrari still lack the race pace to challenge Red Bull over a full Grand Prix distance.
The result means Leclerc's championship challenge already looks doomed. He now trails Verstappen by a massive 98 points with just nine races remaining. Barring a sudden and drastic turnaround in form, the title already seems out of reach for the Ferrari man.
Leclerc has not won a race since Australia back in April, with his last three Grand Prix yielding just two podiums and one fifth place. Meanwhile, Verstappen continues to extend his lead at the top, winning seven of the last eight races.
The talented young Monegasque driver has shown he can match Verstappen in qualifying, but he needs a much faster car on Sundays. Until Ferrari solve that puzzle, Leclerc will keep coming up short.
Team principal Mattia Binotto will have plenty to ponder over the summer break. Fundamental changes are needed if Leclerc is to stand any chance of resurrecting his title challenge after the month-long hiatus. Otherwise, this really could be a wasted year for Ferrari and their star driver.
The pressure is now firmly on Leclerc and his team to come back stronger in Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. Otherwise, Leclerc's dream of a first world title in red looks set to fade very quickly indeed.
