Leclerc explains blunt radio quip during Belgian GP podium run

Charles Leclerc has shed light on the pointed exchange with his Ferrari race engineer during the Belgian Grand Prix, revealing that relentless pressure from Max Verstappen prompted him to shut down communication over team radio in the heat of battle.

The Scuderia charger clinched third place at Spa-Francorchamps after a solid driver, finishing behind the dominant McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. But it wasn’t a comfortable ride to the podium for the Monegasque.

Leclerc spent much of the 44-lap race fending off Verstappen’s Red Bull, with the reigning world champion shadowing him at close quarters through varying track conditions.

“Max was behind the whole race within two seconds, so it's never easy,” Leclerc said post-race.

“I knew that the first part of the race was the trickiest one for us because we didn't have the downforce that the McLaren or that Max had, as they compromised a little bit the qualifying to be better in the rain today. But luckily, it dried up pretty quickly, and then the pace was good.”

“But still, Max was right behind the whole race. I'm pretty happy that we managed to keep that third place.”

"Leave me alone": A High-Pressure Moment

Leclerc’s radio messages drew attention when he audibly snapped at his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, in the latter stages of the race.

As Bozzi relayed that Verstappen was just 1.2 seconds behind, Leclerc channeled his inner Kimi Raikkonen, responding curtly:

“Leave me alone, please. I can have no information, then when he's getting close, I have too much information. Keep it constant. Don't worry."

Asked about the exchange after the race, Leclerc explained that the intensity of Verstappen's pursuit, combined with Spa's treacherous conditions, made for a mentally demanding environment where he preferred fewer distractions.

“The pressure is high, especially in those conditions, because as soon as you are 10, 15 centimetres out the first... the right line, then it's wet or greasy and then you can lose the line and do a very big mistake.

“So at one point, I just told Bryan to leave me alone,” he said.

“But obviously, he's trying to give me the most information. Sometimes I need them. Today I didn't, and I let him know.”

Despite the terse communication, Leclerc’s ability to keep Verstappen at bay for nearly the entire race was a testament to both his composure and Ferrari’s steady improvement in recent weeks.

Signs of Progress and a Look Ahead

Leclerc’s third-place finish gave Ferrari its first podium since Austria and marked another encouraging outing for the team’s latest car updates, introduced during the sprint weekend.

“I hope so. I mean, honestly, we've had what we expected with this upgrade and that's really positive. We need to keep learning about how to maximise this new upgrade,” he said.

“It's still pretty new, but it's a good first weekend and I'm happy that we are on the podium to thank the whole team back in Maranello. But we keep pushing and hopefully we'll put a bit more pressure on the McLarens [soon].”

With the Hungarian Grand Prix just days away, Ferrari appears cautiously optimistic about taking the fight to McLaren, who have surged into title contention with consistently strong performances across varying conditions.

Read also:

• Leclerc: Fine-tuning of Ferrari upgrades ‘going in the right direction’

Leclerc's Spa podium extends his run of points finishes and edges him slightly closer to Verstappen in the standings, though the McLaren drivers remain firmly in control at the top.

For now, the eight-time Grand Prix winner will take comfort in a hard-fought third place – and perhaps a quieter radio channel next time out.

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