'Not expecting this kind of result' – Vasseur reacts to Ferrari's performance in Belgian GP

Fred Vasseur admits that Ferrari were "not expecting this kind of result" in the Belgian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Lewis Hamilton just missing out on the podium.

Ferrari entered the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps having won two out of the last three races, with Hamilton winning in Barcelona and Leclerc finishing first last time out at Silverstone.

Leclerc's win in particular was a surprise to the team, given Ferrari's lack of straight-line speed compared with Mercedes on a high-speed track layout.

During Sunday's 44-lap race, a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car moved Leclerc up from P3 into the lead before the Monegasque driver conceded the position to finish second behind Kimi Antonelli.

"I think overall, it's a very strong result for the team. We were not expecting this kind of result at Silverstone and Spa due to the layout of the track," Ferrari Team Principal Vasseur told F1 TV afterwards.

"We had good results. I think overall as a team, we did a good job with execution, good strategy, good pit stop."

"I think on the chassis side we are doing a strong job, we are bringing upgrades. It's paying off, small steps but small step by small step, we are catching up."

Hamilton finished fourth but faces a post-race investigation for an unsafe release, after he caught a mechanic with his front-right tyre when leaving the pit box.

The Briton also pitted behind Leclerc under the VSC but had to remain stationary for five-seconds after being handed a time penalty for an opening lap collision with George Russell, which resulted in the Mercedes driver retiring.

"I think it's a bit harsh because it's Lap 1, so far into the season there was no penalty [for similar]," said Vasseur.

"If you have a look on the corner at Russell, he had space on the left-hand side. It's not that he was close to the wall. I think it's more a racing incident for me."