Beginning the race from the front row next to pole-sitter Max Verstappen, Leclerc aimed for an early advantage at Turn 1 but had to pull back. His race took a turn for the worse as his Ferrari SF-24 encountered front brake issues, causing him to lose positions.
Despite a commendable effort to overtake the Mercedes of George Russell towards the end of the race, Leclerc finished in fourth place. He later shared the extent of the difficulties he faced during the Grand Prix due to the brake problems with his car.
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“It was impossible to drive properly,” the 26-year-old commented. “We had big problems with the brakes, which we will investigate what happened in order for it to not happen again. This obviously was a big issue. In the first 10 laps it was impossible.
“Every lap I was doing I would brake three or four metres earlier, but the issue was getting much, much worse every lap, so every time I was basing my feeling on the previous lap, but in the meantime the issue was a lot more so I would get there and I would lock up like crazy again, so it felt really bad and then it stabilised but in a place that was completely out of the proper window.
“I think on the radio the team told me that it was more than a 100 degrees more split between front right and front left, and that stayed for the whole race, so we were in a very, very bad place, and it’s like this.”
Ferrari found reasons for optimism in the year’s opening race event. Carlos Sainz secured the last spot on the podium, trailing behind the two Red Bulls, and both Ferrari drivers commended the enhancements made to their vehicle since last year, following Thursday’s practice sessions.
Yet, when asked about his overall impression from the weekend, considering the team’s evident progress, Leclerc confessed to finding it challenging to remain optimistic in light of his race results.
“We have made a step forward but.. I don’t know, I struggle to see the positives at the end of the weekend when it’s time to put everything together then we have an issue, so I’m very disappointed with today,” he stated.
Leclerc is setting his sights on an improved performance at the forthcoming 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, this week at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
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