Lewis Hamilton needed ‘two days’ to understand something Charles Leclerc got ‘immediately’ at Belgian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton’s wait for his first Sunday podium with Ferrari continues as he suffered a difficult weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion made an unusual mistake during Sprint qualifying as he spun off at the final chicane. This error cost him as he was eliminated in SQ1 in 18th, jeopardising his Sprint race.

Martin Brundle was bemused by Hamilton’s spin as he locked the rear heading into the corner. The Brit could only manage P15 in the Sprint, and his troubles continued in Grand Prix qualifying.

Hamilton did produce a time quick enough to reach Q2, but he exceeded track limits at Raidillon and was demoted to 16th. Starting from the pit lane, Hamilton produced a ‘masterclass’ in strategy as he climbed up to P7, but again, he was behind teammate Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque driver qualified third behind the McLarens and fended off Max Verstappen to keep his position and score his fifth podium of 2025. Damon Hill says Hamilton still has a ‘big question’ to answer about whether he can win at Ferrari after Leclerc got the better of him at Spa.

Lewis Hamilton needed ‘two days’ to adapt to Ferrari’s new rear suspension while Charles Leclerc got it ‘immediately’

The Belgian Grand Prix was a critical weekend for the Maranello outfit. Ferrari debuted their rear suspension upgrade, which had been widely publicised by the Italian press as the update to bring the team closer to the front.

But even with the upgrade, the team still encountered issues at Spa. Leclerc feared he would still need ‘extreme’ set-ups with his SF-25, but his teammate suffered the most.

Hamilton was complaining of rear instability in Ferrari debriefs; he would have been taken aback the most by the locking of the rear brakes in Sprint qualifying that left him 18th. According to a report from Auto Motor und Sport, it took the 40-year-old ‘two days’ to adapt to the new rear suspension.

Meanwhile, Leclerc adapted ‘immediately’ and showed strong pace throughout the weekend to score another podium for Ferrari. The Maranello outfit can certainly reap the benefits of their latest update, but Hamilton is again on the back foot.

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Lewis Hamilton continues to demand changes at Ferrari as his search for a podium goes on

Coming into the Belgian GP, the seven-time champion was hoping to see changes from the Maranello outfit in terms of the car and their operation. Hamilton sent several ‘documents’ to Ferrari, detailing a raft of changes he wanted to see.

Leclerc held back laughter when asked about Hamilton’s comments, as this is a routine thing for an F1 driver. Ferrari will appreciate the Brit’s feedback, especially given his incredible experience and success in the sport, but his struggles at Spa could not have been more ill-timed.

People in F1 think Hamilton is also ‘not firing properly’, as well as the team, after seeing his performance in Belgium. Ferrari still have their issues, but Leclerc proved their package can finish on the podium, something his teammate is unable to find.

Hamilton is still ‘mentally’ struggling to connect to the SF-25, which likely explains why he is asking for changes behind the scenes. However, Ferrari are giving him the upgrades he is calling for, meaning he also has to step up.