How yellow flag cost Charles Leclerc in F1 Belgian GP qualifying
Charles Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix from fourth place, but believed that more was possible had it not been for a particularly visible yellow flag
Charles Leclerc was left frustrated by a yellow flag distraction on his final qualifying lap at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver qualified in fifth place but will start from fourth as a result of Lando Norris' grid penalty at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday - a position from which the race has never been won.
As Leclerc came around the penultimate corner, a yellow flag was being waved directly in his line of sight. Normally, this would indicate there is a hazard on the track. However, on this occasion, the flag was being waved to indicate the various things going on in the pit lane, with parc ferme being set up, meaning there were additional personnel in the pit lane.
Specifically, the flag was being waved at that point because, having given Max Verstappen a tow, Isack Hadjar had entered the pit lane moments before Leclerc arrived on the scene.
"It's a bit of a shame," he said. "That last lap was a tiny bit better, but then there was a yellow flag in the last two corners.
"I knew there was a yellow flag around that zone for the pit lane entry, but to me, the stewards were very visible, a bit too visible on track for it to be a yellow flag for the pit entry. But it's the way it is. I lifted off and I probably lost a bit of lap time there.”
While believing he lost time in the final chicane as a result of the yellow flag, Leclerc did not feel his position would have been all that different without the distraction.
He told Sky Sports F1: "I wouldn't have done a crazy-better lap time, and half a second was still there, but one position would have been possible.”
Suggesting that a podium may be possible on Sunday, the Ferrari driver conceded where the performance gap to Mercedes lies.
“It's just raw power, I think," he added. "Raw power- they are just on the better side of things, and we are pretty strong in the grip-limited, but struggling in the power-limited.
“However, today it's true that they were very strong in the corners as well. They just have a very strong package at the moment, and for us, we just have to focus on those tracks to maximise what we have.”
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
