Ferrari Scores Ninth Podium of 2026 Season at Belgian Grand Prix; Leclerc Second, Hamilton Fourth
Scuderia Ferrari HP leaves Spa-Francorchamps with its ninth podium of the season as Charles Leclerc finishes second and Lewis Hamilton recovers to fourth after a first-lap penalty.
- 30
- 9
- 54
- 845
What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP secured its ninth podium of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Lewis Hamilton fourth. The team scored a total of 30 points at Spa-Francorchamps, with Leclerc taking his 54th career podium and Ferrari's 845th all-time. Hamilton's fourth-place finish moved him back up to second in the Drivers' Championship.
Leclerc overtakes Verstappen and Russell to run second behind Antonelli; Hamilton and Russell make contact, triggering Safety Car.
Virtual Safety Car deployed; Ferrari pits both drivers for Hard tyres, losing minimal time.
Leclerc overtakes Norris to take the lead.
Antonelli passes Leclerc for the lead; Leclerc holds second to the finish.
Hamilton overtakes Piastri to finish fourth, a few seconds behind Verstappen.
“I believed in the possibility of taking the win until the end. I had a good start, passing George (Russell) and Max (Verstappen) out of Eau Rouge with strong deployment. The Virtual Safety Car helped to put us in contention for the win, and it was really enjoyable to lead the race and fight for that position until the closing laps, even if it was down to a bit of luck on our side.”
“The team did a really good job today, both with the strategy and the execution of the race, and the mechanics were excellent throughout the weekend, including during the pit stops. Given the damage, the five-second penalty and everything that happened yesterday, I'm grateful to have come away with some points.”
30points
Leclerc's second place (18) and Hamilton's fourth (12) add to Ferrari's tally.
Formula 1 heads to the Hungaroring next weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the eleventh round of the season and the final race before the summer shutdown. Team Principal Fred Vasseur said the team will focus on finishing the first half of the season on a positive note.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Ferrari started the Belgian Grand Prix with Leclerc and Hamilton in fifth and sixth after qualifying, but a grid penalty for Norris moved them up one spot each. Hamilton had struggled in practice, hitting the barriers at Stavelot, but expressed confidence in the team's continuous improvements. The strong race result continues the team's recent trend of outperforming expectations.
- Leclerc fifth, Hamilton sixth in Belgian GP qualifying; Norris penalty promotes both to fourth and fifth on grid
- Ferrari Finishes Fifth and Sixth in Belgian GP Final Practice; Hamilton Hits Barriers
- Lewis Hamilton Praises Ferrari's Continuous Improvements Ahead of Belgian Grand Prix
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
This race weekend shows Ferrari's improved pace at a track they didn't expect to be competitive, giving the team momentum ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Leclerc's second place and Hamilton's fourth-place recovery netted 30 points, strengthening Ferrari's championship standing.
Terms in This Story
- Virtual Safety Car
- A race procedure where drivers must slow down to a specified lap time, but no physical safety car enters the track.
- Slipstream
- The reduced air resistance behind a moving car, allowing a following car to gain speed.
- Eau Rouge
- A famous high-speed corner at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.