During the opening race of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 1, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari expressed that he was unable to deal with an issue in his right front brake. In the early stages of the race, Leclerc was in second place, but both Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and his teammate overtook him. Despite managing to overtake George Russell and secure fourth place, Leclerc finished the race 14 seconds behind Carlos Sainz.
At turn 10, Leclerc was seen struggling to slow down for the left turn, indicating a possible brake malfunction. Leclerc believes that if Russell had not given him the opportunity to overtake when he went off track at turn 10, it would have been difficult for him to overtake due to the brake issue.
Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur, acknowledged that Leclerc faced issues throughout the race, specifically with his brakes. This problem caused him to lose six tenths of a second per lap. Leclerc had to battle with George Russell and Carlos Sainz, finishing in fourth place behind his teammate. Vasseur emphasized the need to prevent such issues from recurring, as they can negatively affect the drivers’ morale.
During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz stated that he made a controlled move on Charles Leclerc to ensure his teammate did not lose time. Initially, Leclerc was three positions ahead of Sainz, but due to significant brake problems, he fell behind Hamilton and Russell. Sainz took advantage of this situation at turn 1, forcing Leclerc to back off when his angle was compromised approaching the apex of turn 2.
Sainz clarified that he races with the sister car in a methodical way and was surprised when it was suggested that tensions between the two Ferrari drivers had increased. Although Sainz initially surpassed Leclerc as the main Ferrari on track, he ended up falling behind after the team decided to give Leclerc an advantage during the early pit stops. However, on lap 17, Sainz once again overtook his Monegasque teammate.
Sainz justified his maneuvers by stating that it was necessary for Ferrari to compete with Russell, especially considering Leclerc’s brake issues and Russell’s time gain on both Ferrari cars. This led Sainz to make his moves on the track. On social media, there were debates about Sainz’s contract, which is set to expire in 2025, and speculations about Lewis Hamilton potentially taking his place after the 2024 season.
