F1 Bahrain GP: “Not even one race in…” Tifosi have a meltdown as Charles Leclerc takes new engine components before even a SINGLE racing lap

It’s safe to say that Ferrari isn’t off to an incredible start. While the final qualifying positions are about what could be expected, there were some hiccups along the way. Before he’d even started his first flying lap of the year, one of Charles Leclerc’s wheel-arch fell off, and then he locked up going into the first corner. Not ideal, and not a confidence booster. The decision to not attempt a final Q3 run also raised some eyebrows, though that was a strategic decision to save tires.

Third and fourth could mean that Ferrari can challenge Red Bull, but neither driver seems very optimistic about that. This is because Ferrari still seem to have some tire degradation issues. So while they’ll try and take the fight to Red Bull, there’s also a threat from behind, particularly from Fernando Alonso. Carlos Sainz said he expects his compatriot to be at Ferrari’s pace, or even quicker.

There is another not-so-good sign for Ferrari: Already before the first race of the season, Leclerc has taken two new components, though as a precaution. The first of these is an energy store, but he will also use a new control electronics for the race. The change is ‘legal’ under parc ferme, and won’t incur a penalty, but drivers are only allowed two (of each component) before they incur a 10-place grid penalty. Of course, they can still switch to the first one, but it’s not a good thing that they’ve already had to switch components before they’ve even raced a proper lap.

Read More: F1 Bahrain GP: “We are in a better position,” Charles Leclerc optimistic after securing P3 at Sakhir

Charles Leclerc has taken new control electronics and energy store

As expected, the news hasn’t been taken particularly well. The change may be precautionary, but the point stands that there’s not even been one single actual lap of racing action yet. It seems that Charles Leclerc can’t catch a break – Yesterday, he had components falling off before his first qualifying lap. Today, he’s already taken two new components before his first racing lap. In both cases, it’s rather a minor (and possibly inconsequential) occurrence, but fans certainly don’t see it that way.

Last season, reliability had been one of Ferrari’s weakest points. The first cracks began to show in Spain, and then failures in Azerbaijan and Austria piled on the misery. After a while, they even had to turn down the engine for fear of another such engine failure. This surely can’t happen if they hope to challenge for the title in 2023, but Leclerc taking 2 new components before the start of the season, even as a precaution, is not an encouraging sign.

It remains to be seen how the Monegasque will fare in the race, though the Maranello team posing a challenge to Red Bull, at this stage, seems a far-fetched idea. The fact that Leclerc has saved up new soft tires for the race is good, at least for one stint, but even then it may not particularly matter if the tire degradation hasn’t improved from last season.

In case you missed it:

• F1 Bahrain GP: “I don’t think we have performance,” Charles Leclerc disheartened by subpar practice sessions ahead of the 2023 season opener
• Charles Leclerc eases fans’ worries: His ‘dream’ still to win with Ferrari

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