Brawn: Bahrain, “a warning shot” for Mercedes

Si Mercedes celebrated a second double in as many Grands Prix last weekend in Bahrain, it's good Ferrari et Charles Leclerc who were the moral winners of the race. The Monegasque's SF90 paraded at the head of the event until its car lose power and be taken over by the W10s of Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas.

The sports director of the F1 Ross Brawn thus believes that the star-studded team has reason to be worried despite its 39-point lead over the Prancing Horse, the result of the Bahrain GP not reflecting the hierarchy of performances.

“We are in seventh heaven when we score two doubles at the start and we think we have inflicted a severe blow on the hopes of our opponents. However, last Sunday, the (sporting) director of Mercedes Toto wolff clearly admitted that if he was surprised that his team finished ahead in Melbourne without being too bothered, it was quite different in Bahrain”he recalled.

“Without Leclerc's loss of power, Hamilton would have had no chance of attacking the Ferrari. Bottas could not have finished 2nd and could not have retained the lead in the championship. Mercedes are aware of the real situation and they will have to face a very competitive Ferrari team this year. »

“There is a risk of resting on their laurels having won everything since 2014, but Bahrain was a wake-up call that they are certainly not going to ignore in their debriefs this week”, specified the former technical director of the Scuderia.

Ross Brawn also more than appreciated the performance of Charles Leclerc who had regained the lead of the race with authority after a missed start from pole.

“F1 can be cruel, he admitted. After being the fastest in almost every session of the weekend, Charles Leclerc was living his dream. His misfortune was disastrous for both the driver and the team, but especially for Charles. His fall to 3rd place does not detract from his brilliant performance. He was magnificent in his way of regaining the lead of the race, in his ability to preserve the tires in a particularly difficult race with sand. »

“I also appreciated his behavior at the end of the race despite what had happened. This shows great maturity in him, a character trait that will be useful to him in the future. Charles really deserved this victory and I am sure that we will soon see him at the forefront again”, concluded Ross Brawn.

Discover the analysis of the Bahrain GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2210 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.