Charles Leclerc’s Arduous Fourth Place Finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc endured consistent front brake locking issues during the Bahrain Grand Prix that saw him taking home fourth place.

Image from: https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/01/leclerc-says-extra-run-in-q1-compromised-his-bid-for-pole-position/

Leclerc started second on the grid, behind race winner Max Verstappen. His teammate Carlos Sainz started fourth and managed to secure third place for a podium finish.  

Leclerc had a lock up when attempting a move into Turn 1 that forced him to back off of Verstappen’s Red Bull. He started losing positions as the brake issues persisted. While he managed to overtake George Russell in the Mercedes late into the race, he expressed his disappointment in post-race interviews saying, “It was impossible to drive properly.”

Image from: https://sportal.eu/2024/03/03/charles-leclerc-and-brake-trouble-in-bahrain-ferrari-launches-investigation/

The Monegasque driver explained how the issue did not improve, “Every lap I was doing I would brake three or four meters earlier, but the issue was getting much, much worse every lap”. Though Ferrari’s results were a positive second and fourth, Leclerc is still uncertain about the team’s ability to consistently have positive weekends.