Contrary to Melbourne, the Ferrari SF90 was the fastest car in Bahrain, but, Sebastian Vettel was able to display yet more evidence for why he is becoming his own worst enemy
Callum Alexander | Callum on Cars | CrackersCal
The 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix represented another blow for Ferrari, and in particular their star driver and quadruple world champion, Sebastian Vettel.
Of course, it is still too early in the season to debate emerging trends, but the backdrop to this sentiment has a familiar undertone to recent seasons. Under the star-speckled night sky, the performance pendulum had swung, and unlike the season opening race in Melbourne Australia, Ferrari dominated the Practice sessions with a significant margin over closest nemesis’ Mercedes.
The World Champions could not get within six tenths of the pace set across all three-practice sessions, set by Vettel and teammate Charles Leclerc. The Scarlett Red Scuderia suited the dry desert and hot temperatures. It meant they had the fastest package in Bahrain, in every aspect to race at the Sakhir International Circuit.
But a new, additional dynamic is at play in the Ferrari team. Leclerc has replaced Kimi Raikkonen for the 2019 season - a less submissive teammate than the comfortable, friendly partnership Vettel shared with the ageing Finn. The Monegasque understands the team game, but he has his own ambitions to fulfil with the pace to prove it.
This realisation manifested into reality in the qualifying battle for pole position. Leclerc took the fight to his four-time champion teammate; the top 10 shootout saw Vettel fail to beat the 21-year olds first lap time, with the youngster then widening the deficit to the 31-year old further on his second run. It left the 55-pole position man almost three tenths adrift in second. Leclerc’s first pole position made him the youngest ever pole sitter in a Ferrari.
The Mercedes men filled the second row. Hamilton was third for the Silver Arrows, over three tenths behind pole position; Bottas bagged fourth – nearly four tenths back. Verstappen took fifth place with the Red Bull Honda a rather distant nine tenths behind the pole lap pace.
The duel in the floodlight lit desert beckoned. The starting lights went out: Vettel made the better start over Leclerc and was leading into turn one; Bottas also jumped Hamilton into third with the Briton stuttering at the start for the second successive race. Bottas then leapt to second after overtaking Leclerc around the outside of turn 4.
Ferrari had a significant advantage on the straights over Mercedes the entire weekend, with Leclerc responding immediately to challenge Bottas on lap 2. The Monegasque was nestled in Bottas’ slipstream when under braking at turn 1 the Finn locked up, drifted wide of the racing line allowing Leclerc to slip past back up to second.
That allowed Hamilton to align a run at Bottas from turn 1, taking the faster racing line and undercutting his teammate on the tighter line into turn 5.
It left Leclerc honing in on leader Vettel, he cut his two-second lead to just one in two laps, prompting him to alert his team over radio on lap 5: “Guys, I’m much faster.”
“I was just letting them know,” Leclerc clarified after the race. It was then that Ferrari instructed Leclerc to ‘stay like this for two laps’ but his charging momentum enabled a shot at Vettel on lap 6, the next lap.
In doing so, Leclerc ignored an explicit team order from Ferrari - they are trying to maintain the status quo, prioritising Vettel as the number one driver, and effectively renegading Leclerc as the number two. But his performance is proving that he has the potential to be more than that.
Propelled by the slingshot of the DRS, in his second race for Ferrari, Leclerc pulled past Vettel who defended the inside line. Braking late into turn 1, he took the wide line around the corner, leaving Vettel on the tighter line and ideally positioned for the drag race up to turn 4.
Leclerc covered off Vettel’s attempts to reclaim the lead into turn 4 and settled into pulling a gap. Vettel never ventured near his teammate for the remainder of the race.
So much has been spoken about Sebastian Vettel, his achievements and what he is able to do in an F1 car. Yet for Leclerc to stake his claim and pressure Vettel in such a commanding way in Bahrain must raise uncomfortable questions, about how the established order can be maintained at Ferrari, without friction coming to the fore.
For Vettel, Leclerc is an entirely different prospect to grapple with. He is the next generation of driver in transition, an unavoidable reality as a result of the passing of time. The truth about Leclerc is that he represents something more: his ambition and speed threatens to undermine Vettel’s thus far unchallenged status as the number one driver at Ferrari.
Because Vettel, with all of his accolades, is pulling the thread on his own reputation, by his own doing. During the 2018 F1 season, Vettel made a series of costly driving errors, losing critical points in his fight for the Drivers title. Yet, Vettel committed a similar offence in Bahrain 2019.
It was on lap 38, and Hamilton had been catching Vettel in the previous laps. With 20 to go, the Five Time Champion, famed for his natural talent in racing combat, pulled an overtake around the outside of Vettel at turn four – no contact was made. Vettel, desperate to cling close to the back of Hamilton, spun himself around – badly ‘flat-spotting’ his tyres in the process.
He called to his team for new tyres. But before he could get back to the pits; the vibrations from the damaged tyres caused his wing to shatter off on the back straight. In what is becoming a trademark Vettel habit: he had thrown away second place, for fourth.
Vettel said afterwards: "Not the race we wanted. Overall just not the pace I wanted to have. Not sure why and then on top I had the mistake with the spin. Not a good evening."
It yet again raises questions about the depth of Vettel’s credentials in intense circumstances on track. The skill of wheel to wheel racing and ability to withstand and cope with pressure both contributory factors to underperforming in races that in part unravelled his championship campaign in 2017 and 2018.
Hamilton elaborated candidly to BBC Sport soon after winning his fifth title in 2018 about how he discerns Vettel’s driving. “I know where his strengths are, I know where his weaknesses are and I know where I'm better. So, it's game on. I'm like, 'Let's dance. You might get the better of me [in] this bit but I know how to get by you."
It is clear from this that the 34-year old knows he can handle Vettel in battle on track.
It feels like a long time ago since Sebastian Vettel stormed to four consecutive Drivers Championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. Those halcyon days earnt the German a reputation as one of Formula One’s most exciting drivers for a generation – the next Michael Schumacher.
In moving to Ferrari, Vettel was aiming to emulate his hero Schumacher; the romanticism of following in his footsteps and winning races and championships to tempting to resist. But, so far, that dream has failed to materialise. In some races he is driving the fastest car, almost backwards – tainting a once imperious reputation.
To be clear: Vettel is not a bad driver, he is an exceptional talent - his incredible statistics speak for themselves. With 52 wins, 55 pole positions and 112 podiums, he qualifies as an F1 legend. But does he have the diamond encrusted stardust that Hamilton is encoded with? That is less certain.
It’s a curious albeit hypothetical question: but if Hamilton and Vettel swapped cars, would the Brit be committing the same unforced errors, underperforming and not living up to the statistics that define his driving capacity as one of the greatest drivers of all time?
In this writer’s opinion: if Hamilton had been driving a Ferrari in 2017 and 2018 – Mercedes’ star man would be a Five Time Champion regardless. And, he would not have dropped it at turn 4 in Bahrain 2019. China can’t come soon enough for the German.
Vettel’s travails were self-inflicted but Leclerc suffered no such form of self-sabotage. Ferrari’s hopes of victory were all stacked on the Monegasque who was comfortably leading the race by 10 seconds, until lap 46.
Leclerc agitatedly broadcast on team radio: “something’s wrong with the engine!” He repeated this line seconds later in a louder, more urgent tone. Ferrari said they were looking into it, but there was nothing they could do: the turbo on his SF90 engine had failed, and his chances of victory with it.
Within two laps, Hamilton had caught the wounded prancing horse along the final straight. As the world champion drew alongside Leclerc, he raised his hand, acknowledging his driving and just how close he came to taking his first race victory in F1.
“I think it was up and down clearly throughout the race,” Hamilton said. “I was just battling this snappy, oversteery car in these winds, which were very tricky out there.”
“Clearly we were very lucky today to get the 1-2 as a team. I think collectively we’d done a solid job through the weekend and Ferrari had out-performed us from the get-go. We’ve got to continue to work.”
On lap 54, the Leclerc’s stricken Ferrari was then picked off by Bottas. It was only the double retirement of both Renaults on the same lap that brought out the safety car which stopped Leclerc slipping down the order further. His implosion was safeguarded by the race finishing under the safety car, preventing Verstappen from grabbing third place.
The final place on the podium may have been tinged with disappointment and frustration for Leclerc, but it is a consolation considering he may not have even finished in the top three at all if it wasn’t for the safety car. That is the silver lining to console himself with.
Furthermore, taking into account his performance over the Bahrain weekend; there is assurance to be convinced that his first race victory can only be a matter of time.
Leclerc said: Of course I’m extremely disappointed, it’s a shame to only finish third.”
“I think from the whole weekend there are a lot of positives to take. We came here, front row lock-out and then I think we’ve shown also that we had very strong pace during the race. Probably we were the strongest today.”
But like a fairy tale story ending, the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix has connotations that relate to previous races in the most recent seasons with a similar and familiar ending: Mercedes capitalize on Ferrari’s failings, and pick up the prizes.
It was a race Ferrari should have won, but didn’t. They must respond and deliver on the hype and hysteria of their preseason performance, otherwise Mercedes will continue to tighten their grip on 2019.
Callum Alexander | Callum on Cars | CrackersCal
Photos: RaceFans.net
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