The Formula 1 season has officially kicked off just over a week ago, and we’ve got the second Grand Prix of the season waiting for us this weekend already – the Bahrain Grand Prix! Last season, a lot happened at the Bahrain Grand Prix for Scuderia Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel made it two wins in two races, but the celebrations were overshadowed by the fact that Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini suffered a double leg fracture after Kimi Raikkonen was released too early from pits.
Current Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, preview the race at the Bahrain International Circuit:
Sebastian Vettel: “In Bahrain, every mistake is paid for in terms of time. For that reason you have to be very careful in overtaking, waiting for a small mistake by the driver in front to try to pass him. The ideal points to attack? Turn 1 and Turn 14, after the two long straights. In many cases every lap of the track is different from the previous one and this can make the difference, especially in qualifying: it is enough to be out of the ideal trajectory even for a few centimeters – then the wheels begin to spin and you lose irretrievably tenths. From the driver’s point of view, the Bahrain track’s level of difficulty can be configured as normal. Having said that, it is not always easy to find the right spot in practice because the track is dirty with sand and strong winds are often.”
Charles Leclerc: “Bahrain is a rather technical track where often we drivers encounter extreme conditions. For this reason it is interesting to try many different configurations during free practice, so as to be prepared for any eventuality. I like the Sakhir track very much. I competed here in F2 and I immediately got some satisfaction. Last season it was a bit difficult but I was only at the beginning of my Formula 1 career. This year I want to bring home a good result with Ferrari.”
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