Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was incorrectly shown a yellow flag at the end of Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, costing him a grid slot. In the dying seconds of Spa‑Francorchamps’ session, Leclerc was 0.070s up on his first run when he entered the Bus Stop chicane, but a yellow flag was out on pitlane as parc ferme was forming. The flag, waved by a marshal at the start of pit entry, was clearly visible as Leclerc navigated the final turn. He crossed the line 0.030s slower than his previous time, losing a place to fourth‑placed George Russell, with only 0.024s separating them.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was parked in the pit lane at the time, and the marshal’s yellow flag was meant for the pit entry. The flag lay on‑track, forcing Leclerc to lift slightly. "It was very much in the middle and that probably cost me one position," Leclerc told Sky. Team principal Fred Vasseur said the rule was clear: "When the car in front is 0.030s faster, it’s tough."

After struggling with energy deployment in free practice, qualifying was otherwise normal for Ferrari. Leclerc was 0.532s slower than Mercedes pole‑sitter Kimi Antonelli, with teammate Lewis Hamilton just 0.002s behind him. "It’s a lot more in line with what we expected," Leclerc said, noting the car’s strength in corners but weakness in power‑limited parts.

The incident highlights how a single flag can change a weekend’s outcome. Despite the setback, Ferrari remains focused on extracting grip from the Spa layout while addressing power deficits against Mercedes.