The Bahrain Grand Prix took place last Saturday and unfortunately Max Verstappen once again left no room for his rivals, dominating the opening race of the 2024 Formula 1 championship at the Sakhir circuit and securing victory with a 22-second lead over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
The Mexican swiftly closed in on the team leader, benefitting from the significant issues faced by the Ferrari SF-24 of Charles Leclerc and and the Mercedes W15 of George Russell. The Dutchman’s Red Bull victory was never in question, leaving others to contend for second place in Bahrain.
Cooler temperatures compared to the conditions encountered in the pre-season testing sessions significantly facilitated the use of C3 (soft) compounds, giving Red Bull a strategic advantage. Despite this, it is evident that competitors must undergo substantial development work to challenge the three-time world champion, who currently maintains a position of dominance or, at the very least, control. His RB20 showed no weaknesses, displaying a gap similar to Abu Dhabi, averaging over 5 tenths ahead of everyone. His teammate, with the same car, couldn’t threaten him but did what the team expects from him, which is he completed the one-two, defending against Carlos Sainz’s strong comeback.
In Bahrain, Ferrari performed well as Red Bull’s main pursuer. Charles Leclerc started strongly from the front row alongside Max Verstappen but encountered significant brake temperature issues from the first lap. A thorough analysis will be conducted in the coming days by the Maranello team, as well as F1 braking systems provider Brembo to determine the exact nature of the SF-24 problem. What is clear is that a malfunction affected the balance of the car’s front axle on a complex layout, particularly challenging with a heavy car.
According to gathered data, Charles Leclerc’s performance in the first 15/20 laps was around 6 tenths per lap slower than the car’s actual potential, not only setting him back but also influencing the strategy, as confirmed by Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver was only able to partially recover in the final stint, aided by a much lighter car.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
Despite securing third and fourth places at the Sakhir circuit, Fred Vasseur is not entirely satisfied with the result. The French manager pointed out that Ferrari could have achieved more, but at also adding that the team has reduced the gap by 50% to Red Bull as compared to the start of the previous season.
The focus now shifts to the Jeddah track, where all teams start from scratch given the completely different layout of the next venue. Ferrari has already decided on a more streamlined configuration for the Saudi Arabian track, introducing a specific medium-low downforce rear wing, highly efficient in terms of profile, aiming to replicate Red Bull’s performance with DRS open, as confirmed by F1 expert Giuliano Duchessa for formu1a.uno.
The SF-24 is undoubtedly a contrasting car compared to its predecessor, excelling in important downforce qualities in medium-high-speed corners. These are crucial attributes on a fast city circuit, where quick tire engagement is necessary. If all goes well, the SF-23’s worst race, held in the same region a year ago, could turn into a promising opportunity next weekend at the 6.174 km motor racing circuit built in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
Leave a Reply