Persistent braking issues ended Charles Leclerc’s hopes of ending on the rostrum within the first race of 2023.
The Ferrari driver began second however slipped again to fifth at one stage as he grappled with a 100C completely different in temperature between his entrance brake discs.
Workforce mate Carlos Sainz Jnr briefly reported comparable issues throughout his first stint, however wasn’t affected by them as significantly as Leclerc was.
By the top of the race, Leclerc had adjusted to the issue effectively sufficient that he was in a position to go George Russell for fourth place. The Mercedes driver had issues of his personal resulting from his energy unit overheating.
However at one level Leclerc’s issues grew so extreme he warned his workforce the automobile’s dealing with was “harmful”.
Leclerc’s 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix radio messages
The Ferrari driver was already having problem together with his brakes when Russell overtook him quickly after the beginning of Saturday’s race. This can be a number of his exchanges with race engineer Xavier Marcos Padros, omitting repetitive messages comparable to gaps to different drivers and their lap instances:
Lap: 2/57 LEC: 1’36.862Marcos PadrosDRS enabled.Marcos PadrosRussell behind with DRS.Marcos PadrosRussell DRS.Lap: 3/57 LEC: 1’38.062Marcos PadrosRussell DRS. Hole to him 0.8.Marcos PadrosAnd Russell DRS once more.Marcos PadrosPerez behind with DRS.Lap: 4/57 LEC: 1’37.752Marcos PadrosPerez DRSLeclercYeah, it’s okay.Marcos PadrosCopy.
Leclerc made few feedback about his braking downside in the course of the first stint. It seems he suspected the issue lay together with his tyres. On lap seven he locked up at flip 10, ran large and Perez pounced, taking third place from him.
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Lap: 5/57 LEC: 1’38.131Marcos PadrosSo behind now we have Perez with DRS and in addition Sainz with DRS behind Perez.LeclercTrack limits, Russell.Marcos PadrosCopy on monitor limits for Russell.LeclercReally bizarre the steadiness, actually oversteering.Marcos PadrosUnderstood.Lap: 6/57 LEC: 1’37.782Marcos PadrosAnd change place. Yellow.LeclercTrack limits for Russell.Lap: 7/57 LEC: 1’38.957Marcos PadrosAnd first strike for monitor limits, flip ten. And SOC [state of charge] six when you’ll be able to.Lap: 8/57 LEC: 1’38.136Marcos PadrosOverall, good job on tyre administration.
Having put Leclerc on delicate tyres initially, Ferrari deliberate to change him on to the arduous tyres early on. Regardless of Sainz passing him on lap 11, Ferrari caught to their plan to pit Leclerc first.
Lap: 9/57 LEC: 1’37.844Marcos PadrosAnd Charles in the mean time we’re considering plan A, plan A. And tyre part replace when you’ll be able to.Lap: 10/57 LEC: 1’37.884Marcos PadrosAnd now we have wind part one, low depth. And flap replace when you’ll be able to.LeclercI’m okay.Marcos PadrosAt the second now we have a single yellow flip 4.Lap: 11/57 LEC: 1’41.737Marcos PadrosTrack is obvious flip fourLeclercCopy.Marcos PadrosConfirm plan A. And field now field.LeclercCopy, field.
As he got here in Leclerc advised his workforce he felt the issue lay together with his tyres.
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Lap: 12/57 LEC: 1’57.471Marcos PadrosAnd no heat up on the hards.LeclercCopy. One thing felt very off on this set. The fronts have been locking like loopy.Marcos PadrosCopy, understood.
However as soon as out on monitor with a brand new set of arduous rubber, Leclerc realised the issue lay elsewhere. At this level the workforce noticed one brake was considerably hotter than the opposite – a distinct of 100C.
Lap: 13/57 LEC: 1’36.432Marcos PadrosSo Perez and Hamilton simply pitted now for brand spanking new arduous.Marcos PadrosAnd good job with the tyres, proceed like this.Marcos PadrosSo now we have a temperature imbalance in increased entrance left.LeclercIt’s an imbalance?Lap: 14/57 LEC: 1’36.756Marcos PadrosYes that’s right. Increased front-left. And Norris behind simply pitted for brand spanking new arduous.Marcos PadrosAnd Sainz simply pitted for brand spanking new arduous, he’s within the pits now.Marcos PadrosClose pit exit to Sainz.Lap: 15/57 LEC: 1’36.813LeclercHow a lot is the imbalance?Marcos PadrosAround 100 levels. And you might be doing a great job on tyres.
By lap 17 Sainz had handed him once more and Leclerc was down in fifth. Whereas the opposite Ferrari acquired caught into Russell and took third, Leclerc was more and more apprehensive about his brakes.
Lap: 17/57 LEC: 1’37.302Marcos Padros‘Russell’s doing various lift-off for engine temps.LeclercGuys, it’s actually going to the precise after I’m braking.Marcos PadrosOkay, we’re checking.LeclercLike this I can not combat. It’s turning into harmful.Lap: 18/57 LEC: 1’37.438LeclercDo I have to do some brake administration to complete the race or am I okay persevering with like this and I simply need to handle the entrance locks?Marcos PadrosAt the second proceed like this. Handle entrance locking. And we will see the imbalance and the pulling and the braking, affirm we will see it on information.
Marcos Padros recommended settings modifications to handle the issue.
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Lap: 20/57 LEC: 1’36.794Marcos PadrosAnd we want secondary KC place 5, KC place 5.Lap: 21/57 LEC: 1’36.977Marcos PadrosSo secure, if something, barely getting higher. Russell 36.8. Norris 36.6.Lap: 23/57 LEC: 1’36.987Marcos PadrosAnd you might be doing a great job on tyres and in addition managing the brakes. Good job. Russell 37.0. Norris Behind 36 seven.Lap: 26/57 LEC: 1’36.810Marcos PadrosAnd tyre part up to date when you’ll be able to.
Leclerc, clearly involved, saved pushing Marcos Padros for extra suggestions.
Lap: 27/57 LEC: 1’36.831LeclercUpdate me on the brakes please.Marcos PadrosSo the scenario is identical as earlier than. I do know you might be doing a great job managing the difficulty.Marcos PadrosInformation: Tyre life is longer than anticipated.Lap: 29/57 LEC: 1’36.963Marcos PadrosUpdate on the brakes, all the pieces secure in the mean time.Lap: 30/57 LEC: 1’37.158Marcos PadrosAnd brake steadiness minus one, suggestion.LeclercAh, it’s everywhere.Marcos PadrosYeah Charles we will see it. So general you might be doing a great job managing the difficulty. And flap replace when you’ll be able to.LeclercOkay.Marcos PadrosCopy. And brake temperature and steadiness on the entrance is getting higher.Lap: 31/57 LEC: 1’37.031LeclercWell it nonetheless feels shit.Marcos PadrosOkay, copy.
Whereas Ferrari’s information indicated the brakes have been bettering, the sensation Leclerc had within the automobile remained poor.
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Lap: 32/57 LEC: 1’36.941Marcos PadrosAnd what number of laps you are able to do at this tempo. What number of extra laps?LeclercFive.Lap: 33/57 LEC: 1’36.741Marcos PadrosAnd attempt much less braking into 13 and carry extra velocity. That’s a suggestion. Flip 13.LeclercI suppose we will overlook about driving now. It’s fucking pulling in all places. I don’t know what the automobile’s going to do each time I brake.Lap: 34/57 LEC: 1’39.614Marcos PadrosOkay. Copy that.Marcos PadrosAnd change place black. And flap replace when you’ll be able to.LeclercOkay.Marcos PadrosCopy and field now field.LeclercBox.Lap: 37/57 LEC: 1’34.897Marcos PadrosAnd brake scenario remains to be secure.
The workforce continued making tweaks to his automobile’s setting in an effort to enhance Leclerc’s dealing with.
Lap: 38/57 LEC: 1’34.783Marcos PadrosAnd brake form plus one, suggestion.Lap: 39/57 LEC: 1’35.087Marcos PadrosAnd much less toggle for flip one, suggestion. Russell 35.5.LeclercWhat?Marcos PadrosLess toggle flip one, suggestion.Marcos PadrosAnd straightforward on traction out of flip 4 please.Marcos PadrosAnd we want secondary KC place three. Secondary KC place three.Lap: 40/57 LEC: 1’34.859Marcos PadrosAs a reference Sainz lap time 34.7 his final time.Marcos PadrosAnd brakes nonetheless secure general. Good job managing it.Lap: 43/57 LEC: 1’35.192Marcos PadrosAnd 15 laps to go, one-five. And SOC 6 accessible.
Russell’s more and more dire energy unit issues dropped him into Leclerc’s clutches. However because the Mercedes grew bigger forward of him Leclerc was involved overtaking him may show tough given his braking downside.
He acquired a present on lap 46, nonetheless, when Russell skidded large at flip 10, opening the door for Leclerc to regain fourth place.
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Lap: 45/57 LEC: 1’35.220LeclercAh, it’s going to be tough, the brakes are pulling an excessive amount of.Lap: 46/57 LEC: 1’35.058Marcos PadrosGood job. Russell behind, DRS. And brake steadiness minus one for flip one, suggestion.Lap: 48/57 LEC: 1’35.308Marcos PadrosAnd 10 laps to go, 10 laps.Lap: 49/57 LEC: 1’35.302Marcos PadrosAnd brake steadiness minus one, suggestion.
Leclerc was in a position to handle the issue the remainder of the best way residence. After he took the chequered flag, Marcos Padros started to elucidate the character of the issue to him, however workforce principal Frederic Vasseur didn’t need any extra particulars being overheard by their rivals.
Lap: 50/57 LEC: 1’35.383Marcos PadrosFor reference Sainz lap time 35.4.Lap: 51/57 LEC: 1’35.418Marcos PadrosAnd seven laps to go. And brake steadiness plus one just for flip 4.Lap: 56/57 LEC: 1’35.924Marcos PadrosBrake scenario nonetheless secure. Sainz lap time 35.4LeclercIt feels shit, proper.Marcos PadrosYeah, nonetheless identical challenge.Lap: 57/57 LEC: 1’36.324Marcos PadrosAnd final lap.Marcos PadrosAnd P4. Good job managing the difficulty. Mode gradual. And cost button off, please.LeclercSo what occurred?Marcos PadrosSo we might see the imbalance between entrance left and proper, after which we might see the pulling beneath braking.VasseurWe will clarify later.
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2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
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