The two areas that plagued Ferrari in Bahrain were already revealed in the F1 pre-season test

Reports from pre-season testing suggest that Ferrari's woes in Bahrain were already known to the team ahead of the new season. The SF-23 performed mediocrely in Bahrain, with Carlos Sainz unable to get onto the podium.

Charles Leclerc was hit by yet another reliability issue in his latest car, but the details of the same are being investigated thoroughly by the team. The SF-23's two main issues are its immense understeer and a porpoising that is triggered at lower speeds than expected.

As a result, the team is currently unable to employ softer setups on its new car, compromising its raw performance. Early tests from Bahrain had prepared Ferrari for the SF-23's performance characteristics during the season opener, softening the blow on race day.

Team principal Fred Vasseur fully believes in his team's aerodynamic concept for the new season. He said, as per Formu1a.uno:

"We believe in our concept and that's not our problem. Tyre degradation can also be affected by the non-optimal setup. I've never seen a car go fast in qualifying and slow in the race because of a wrong concept."

With the track in Jeddah reported to suit the SF-23 more than Bahrain's, it will be interesting to see if the team can hold a candle up to Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc reached out to upper Ferrari management following Bahrain debacle

Charles Leclerc's start to the 2023 season was anything but smooth at the Bahrain GP. The Monegasque driver had to reach out to Ferrari president John Elkann due to a reliability issue, which caused him to retire from third place and created a negative atmosphere at Maranello.

Before his withdrawal, Leclerc comfortably held onto third place but his performance was reportedly lacking compared to his 2022 title rival Max Verstappen.

As a result, Leclerc sought a resolution to his difficulties by contacting Elkann personally, in a bid to secure his future at Scuderia. Despite finishing as the runner-up in the previous year's championship, Leclerc's results appear to have declined rather than improved in 2023.

While Charles Leclerc faced a difficult start to the 2023 season, his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz had a relatively better performance. However, Sainz was unable to secure a podium position due to Fernando Alonso's impressive run in the Aston Martin, ultimately finishing in fourth place during the season's first race.

On the other hand, Max Verstappen had a smooth ride throughout the race. Starting in pole position, the Dutch driver cruised to victory without encountering any significant challenges.

It remains to be seen how the Maranello-based team will fare as the season progresses.