Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc appeared disheartened as he spoke to the microphones at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the Monegasque’s race heavily impacted by brake issues, preventing him from achieving the best possible result. After losing a considerable amount of time in the second stint, car number 16 managed to surpass George Russell, finishing behind his teammate in fourth place.
A result that was still dissatisfying, as admitted by Charles Leclerc himself, who believed that second place was an achievable goal today: “For the first ten laps, I couldn’t navigate turns 9 and 10, even though I had crazy rear brake balance. I was locking up every lap and making significant changes.” – he pointed out.
Despite a decent start, it became apparent from the early laps that something was amiss with Charles Leclerc’s SF24, as he frequently went wide in turns 1, 9, and 10 due to a brake duct issue, creating a 100-degree imbalance between the left and right front brakes.
Although the risk of retirement was averted, the problem significantly affected Charles Leclerc’s race. He crossed the finish line almost 15 seconds behind his teammate, with whom he engaged in a thrilling battle after the first stint.
“It was a very, very frustrating race because I had been waiting for this race for a long time,” added Charles Leclerc. “I wanted to show what we were capable of, and in the end, I couldn’t prove anything on my part. We were completely off with the brake balance, and the car, in general, was not where I wanted it to be. We will have to analyze what went wrong to avoid these problems from recurring. I managed it all the time. There was not a moment in the first 10 laps when the situation improved. That’s why I made so many mistakes. I was always trying to brake earlier, but every time I did, the problem was more significant, and I locked up again. After 10 laps, it stabilized, so at least I knew there was a problem, and I knew what to expect. The feeling was still horrible.” – the Ferrari driver concluded at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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Source: f1ingenerale
