Explained: The yellow flag error that caught Leclerc out in Belgian GP qualifying

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc was incorrectly shown a yellow flag at the end of Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, which cost him a place on the grid.

In the dying seconds of qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, Leclerc was 0.070s up on his first run when he entered the Bus Stop chicane.

But as qualifying had finished, a yellow flag was out on pitlane while parc ferme was being formed, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar parking up at the time.

Alongside the usual yellow in pitlane, the official stationed at the start of pit entry also waved the yellow flag. That yellow was clearly visible on the track as Leclerc navigated the final turn, with the yellow passing through his field of view and the Ferrari man lifting slightly in response.

Leclerc crossed the line 0.030 down on his previous time instead of being faster, meaning the confusion cost him one tenth of a second. With only 0.024s separating him from fourth-placed George Russell, the Ferrari man was left a little frustrated with losing a position.

"I'm a bit disappointed for that last lap because there was a yellow flag that was supposed to be for the pit entry, but that was too visible, in my opinion, being on track," Leclerc told Sky. "It was very much in the middle and that probably cost me one position.

"I wouldn't have done a crazy better lap time and a half second was still there. But one position would have been possible."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images

Team principal Fred Vasseur added: "Hadjar was stopped in the pit lane in parc ferme and the marshal put out a yellow flag at the pit entry, but the pit entry is on track and Charles had to lift a little bit. It's the rule. When the car in front of you is 0.030s faster, it's a bit tough."

After struggling with energy deployment issues throughout free practice, qualifying was otherwise more normal for Leclerc and Ferrari. The team was always expecting the power sensitive Spa-Francorchamps to be more difficult given the Scuderia's power unit deficit to Mercedes, and it roughly qualified where it thought it would.

Leclerc was 0.532s slower than Mercedes' polesitter Kimi Antonelli, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton just 0.002s behind him.

"It's a lot more in line with what we expected in Silverstone and here. Silverstone was a bit of a standout weekend. Here it's not, and here it's a bit more the way we expected," Leclerc pointed out.

"It's just raw power, they are just on the better side of things. And we are pretty strong in the grip limited [parts], but struggling in the power limited [parts]. However, today it's true that they were very strong in the corners as well, so 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."