Pole-sitter Leclerc ‘cannot be too happy’ with Belgian Grand Prix outing despite finishing with a podium

“In terms of tyres and strategy, we had expected to see a lot more graining on the hard, but they worked well, while we struggled more with the medium.

“I thought we were stopping too early for the first stop, but with hindsight the hard was a really good tyre and, as we saw with [Russell], the one-stop might have worked better, but in the end we did a good job to stay in front of Max [Verstappen].”

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Leclerc was speaking when he initially believed he had finished fourth, before being upgraded to that podium. Russell’s disqualification also moved Carlos Sainz up a position, with the Spaniard – who has now been confirmed to be joining Williams for 2025 – claiming sixth in the end.

He was left wondering what might have been even more than Leclerc, having been the only car to have started on the hard compound tyre. Had he extended that opening stint, perhaps he too could have one-stopped – something he was left to ponder after a race where, like his team mate, he led for a handful of laps.