Leclerc warns Ferrari lack 'magical solution' for Belgian GP

Charles Leclerc is anticipating a "tricky" Belgian Grand Prix, despite his surprise second-place qualifying result at Spa-Francorchamps.

The 26-year-old will line up on pole position after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty for changing his internal combustion engine in his RB20's power unit.

However, the Ferrari driver is remaining realistic about his chances, with the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez starting alongside him.

The six-time grand prix winner admitted McLaren are starting further back than he would have hoped, with the Monegasque wishing that the Papaya cars could have provided cover to the closest Red Bull.

However, despite the difficulties ahead of him during the race itself, Leclerc was pleased with a result in qualifying he did not expect.

"On my side, it was a clean lap, but not an incredible lap," he told media including RacingNews365. "So yeah, I'm very happy to be P2 but I definitely did not expect that. 

"I think as a team today P5 will have been a bit of a good result and today we are P2 and tomorrow we will be starting on pole. 

"So that's a good thing. But as I said we don't have any magical solution for the race pace and it will be a bit of a tricky day."

Leclerc started last year's Belgian Grand Prix at the head of the field, after Max Verstappen also took a grid penalty for that race.

It is the Ferrari driver's 25th career pole position, so he is well versed in the requirements of a well-executed qualifying lap - acknowledging that in the difficult conditions seen during the grid-setting session, sometimes it is a case of not making the mistakes others are making.

"I'm very surprised," he added. "And actually, even when I finished the lap, I didn't feel like it was worth a second place. 

"It was a good lap, a clean lap, and that's what you need in those conditions. And I believe that especially when you get to Q3 in the last lap, everybody knows that this is the lap, and that pushes people to maybe do more mistakes."