Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, faced a problem with his right front brake during the opening race of the 2024 Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix. Leclerc initially held the second position but was overtaken by George Russell from Mercedes and later by his own teammate Carlos Sainz on two separate occasions. Despite managing to regain the lead from Russell and finish in fourth place, Leclerc struggled throughout the race, finishing 14 seconds behind Sainz. The issue with his brakes made it impossible for Leclerc to properly slow down in certain corners, especially at Turn 10. Leclerc suspects that he could have secured the second position if his brakes had been functioning properly. However, he cannot determine the exact cause of the problem. Leclerc also believes that overtaking Russell would have been a challenge even if the Mercedes driver had not made a mistake and gone off track at Turn 10, due to his brake issues.
Ferrari has announced a complete overhaul of their SF-24 car to ensure that their drivers can maintain a competitive pace throughout a race. Leclerc is confident that the team’s performance as the second fastest in Bahrain demonstrates that they have resolved their tire degradation issues from the previous season.
Reflecting on his race, Leclerc stated that there was nothing remarkable to take away. Despite facing challenges with the car, including changes in brake balance and engine braking, he was surprised by the relatively good lap times they were able to achieve. However, determining the true pace of the car remains difficult.
While Sainz finished less than five seconds behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen dominated the race, leading every lap and securing a 22-second victory. Leclerc admitted that Red Bull’s lead was expected and was optimistic about pressuring Verstappen until his own problem arose.
Looking ahead to the next race in Jeddah, Leclerc acknowledged the need to wait and see if the gap between Max and Ferrari remains the same or increases. He also emphasized the significant impact of the problem he faced, which forced him to adjust his driving style and sacrifice braking points. Despite this setback, Leclerc believes that there was still a considerable amount of performance in the car, though quantifying it is challenging.
