Ferrari’s Bahrain pace a ‘wake-up call’ for Mercedes - Brawn

Formula 1 sporting boss Ross Brawn believes Ferrari’s performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix will act as a “wake-up call” for Mercedes. 

Ferrari looked dominant in Bahrain having locked out the front-row in qualifying, before holding what appeared to be a comfortable one-two before the Italian squad’s race unraveled. 

Sebastian Vettel spun while battling Lewis Hamilton for second place on Lap 38 and ended up falling to fifth, while Charles Leclerc’s hopes of a maiden grand prix victory were dashed by a cruel late engine issue which handed Hamilton an unlikely victory ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas. 

Despite appearing to have a much slower car than its rivals in Bahrain, Mercedes has now taken back-to-back one-two finishes and holds an early 39-point advantage over Ferrari after two rounds. 

“If you record two one-two finishes in the first two races, you should be in seventh heaven, believing you have dealt a severe blow to your rivals’ hopes,” Brawn said in F1’s post-Bahrain Grand Prix press release. 

“And yet, on Sunday, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff openly admitted that while it had somewhat unexpectedly finished ahead of the rest in Melbourne, practically unchallenged, it was a very different story in Bahrain. 

“If it hadn’t have been for Leclerc’s loss of power, Hamilton would have had no chance of attacking the Ferrari, nor would Bottas have finished second, a result that means he keeps his championship lead.

“Mercedes are aware of the real situation and they have to fight back against what is clearly a very competitive Ferrari this year.

“If you’ve won everything since 2014 there’s a risk of resting on one’s laurels but Bahrain will have been a wake-up call that they will not be ignoring as they hold their de-briefs at home this week.”

Brawn was also impressed by the performance of Leclerc, who appeared destined to record his first F1 victory having dominated proceedings in Bahrain for much of the race. 

The former Ferrari head noted Leclerc’s “majestic” tyre management and mature handling of his disappointment, with Brawn backing the 21-year-old to bounce back. 

“F1 can be a really cruel sport. In Bahrain, after being fastest at almost every stage of the weekend - with the exception of a short period after the start yesterday - Charles Leclerc was living the dream,” Brawn explained. 

“But then, with just a few laps to go his power unit began to play up and he slowed to the extent that both Mercedes got past him. It was a devastating blow for both driver and team, but especially for Charles.

“However, his fall to third place doesn't take away from what was a brilliant performance the talented Monegasque youngster delivered. 

“The way in which he regained the lead after a handful of laps, the skill with which he managed his tyres in what was a particularly difficult race due to the blustery sandy conditions, was majestic.

“I also appreciated how composed he was in dealing with what happened at the end of the race,” he added. “That showed a great deal of maturity, a trait that will serve him well in the future. 

“Charles truly deserved a win and the consolation of this first podium finish and I am sure he will be back on top very soon.”