Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari SF-24.
02/29/2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 1, Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Bahrain, Practice Day
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz expressed surprise at Mercedes’ initial pace after the first day of practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pre-season testing had led many to believe that Ferrari would be the main challenger to Red Bull’s dominance in recent years. However, it was Mercedes that ended Thursday’s practice session at the top of the time sheets, with Lewis Hamilton leading a one-two finish for the team. Leclerc and Sainz acknowledged that testing can be deceiving and that Mercedes and Red Bull will be strong competitors in the race. Despite an error during the qualifying simulation, Leclerc expects to be competitive throughout the weekend. He noted that Mercedes’ performance was somewhat surprising, but it remains to be seen what fuel load they were using. Leclerc is confident that he will be in contention with the other teams. Sainz, on the other hand, had issues with the brakes and expressed concerns about the car’s performance in long races. The team will work on fine-tuning the balance and improving the package for long races.
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