Leclerc's Issues Reportedly Cost Him Six Tenths Per Lap In First Third Of Bahrain Grand Prix

According to a recent report, Charles Leclerc lost about six-tenths of a second per each of the first 15/20 laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Scuderia F1 driver, Charles Leclerc, has become notorious for his bad luck throughout the last two seasons. After qualifying in second place for the first Grand Prix of the 2024 season, he hoped for a good race, but from the first lap, it became clear that it wouldn't be that easy.

The Monegasque driver struggled with a brake issue, which made his wheels lock up every time he approached a hairpin turn.

This problem caused the 26-year-old to lose lots of time in numerous corners of the Bahrain International Circuit, but it also further damaged his tires, resulting in lower grip and, again, losing more time.

Disappointed, Leclerc told the media after the race that the issue was "impossible" to manage during the first 15 laps of the race. He said: "I would brake three meters earlier, but I would still lock up."

Between laps 15 and 20, he worked on stabilizing the issue, but by then, the temperature difference between two of his brakes was apparently more than 100 degrees.

Though many didn't recognize it, the Ferrari driver might be a hidden hero at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix because bringing the car home in P4 under such conditions required a lot of skill and perseverance.

In the end, Leclerc finished about 14 seconds behind his teammate Carlos Sainz in P3, who was closely trailing Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez in P2.

However, based on the report from Formu1a.uno, the 26-year-old could have had a better finish position had he not suffered from the brake issue. The publication wrote:

Six tenths per lap for a period of 20 laps equates to 12 seconds in total. That would put Leclerc right behind his teammate. Add a better race strategy to it, and the Monegasque driver might have been in battle for P3 and maybe even P2!

Nevertheless, Leclerc will be happy that Ferrari showed promising potential during the first race of the season, and it seems like the Italian team has the second-fastest car. Can the 26-year-old achieve the podium during the second race in Saudi Arabia this week?