‘You got a long way to go,’ When Lewis Hamilton consoled Charles Leclerc after engine failure cost him a win at Bahrain GP 2019

‘You got a long way to go,’ When Lewis Hamilton consoled Charles Leclerc after engine failure cost him a win at Bahrain GP 2019

Podium of the 2019 Bahrain GP

Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari in his second year in 2019, after spending a year at Sauber in 2018. And the very second race with the Maranello-based outfit achieved a podium in the 2019 Bahrain GP. Charles finished P3 behind the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

However, a P3 finish seemed not enough for the driver as he was on his way to finishing P1. Leclerc, who was on his way to winning the first race of his F1 career, suffered a major setback when he reported power loss in his Ferrari when he was leading the race on lap 46. Loss in power cost him several seconds per lap, and the driver was thus eventually overtaken by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Later, Lewis Hamilton was captured consoling the winner, saying, “You drove great this weekend man. YOu really drove fantastic. Hey man, you got a long long suture ahead of you. I know it sucks in the moment. But you got a long long way to go.” 

The race ended in bittersweet conditions for the driver as he achieved the first podium of his F1 career but also missed out on the first win of his career, for which he had to wait for until the second half of the season when he bagged two consecutive wins- Belgian GP and the Italian GP.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after the 2022 Bahrain GP

Charles Leclrec, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclrec, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton

The 2021 GP was as fascinating as the others and at the end of the power unit failure was not Charles Leclerc but the reigning champion Max Verstappen. During the race, Charles Leclerc also joked about having a problem with the engine over the radio, as sort of a reminder to the 2019 race on the same track and made everyone chuckle, as it displayed how far the driver has come in his career.

Lewis Hamilton, who finished P3 in the race congratulated Charles and Ferrari for their performance. The driver was also seen asking the Ferrari driver if he wanted to be lifted on the podium.

It’s clear that both the drivers have a good relationship and respect for each other. While, Charles is just starting out his career in a different zone after Ferrari’s revamp, words from goated drivers like Lewis himself must surely be helpful.

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