Deliberate 'internal leaks' at Ferrari responsible for negative press after the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP

Deliberate 'internal leaks' by Ferrari members are responsible for the negative press the team received after the 2023 Bahrain GP.

Charles Leclerc dropped out of the race due to a power unit-related issue while Carlos Sainz finished in P4. Contract details of a number of Scuderia employees came to light after Bahrain's season opener, reportedly due to an internal leak at the team.

AMuS reports that while team boss Fred Vasseur is keeping calm, it is clear that he needs to put an end to the issue.

Notably, there was a leak of aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile's contract details - that revealed that it would run out soon. These leaks are reported to have been intentionally spread by certain internal members who might have an agenda against upper management.

Ferrari had a dismal start to the season this year, with Charles Leclerc suffering a DNF in the very first race. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, fared slightly better but failed to impress against rival drivers.

The team is expected to put on a stronger performance in the upcoming 2023 Saudi Arabian GP given the track's smoother surface. The team needs to regroup and rectify its faults if they want to dethrone Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc reaches out to upper Ferrari management

Charles Leclerc's 2023 season got off to a rough start at the Bahrain GP, leading him to reportedly reach out to Ferrari President John Elkann. The Monegasque driver had to retire from third place due to a reliability issue, creating a negative atmosphere at Maranello.

Leclerc comfortably held onto third place before the technical problem surfaced. Even before his forced withdrawal, the 25-year-old's performance was lacking in comparison to his 2022 title rival Max Verstappen.

In an attempt to secure his future at Scuderia, Leclerc is said to have personally contacted Elkann in Maranello to seek a resolution to his difficulties. After finishing second in the previous year's championship, Leclerc was expected to outperform himself in 2023 but his results appear to have declined instead.

Meanwhile, Leclerc's Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz performed better but was unable to claim a podium spot due to Fernando Alonso's rapid Aston Martin. Sainz could only achieve a fourth-place finish in the season's first race.

In contrast, Max Verstappen had a smooth ride. The Dutchman began the race in pole position and comfortably cruised to victory without encountering any significant difficulties.

It will be interesting to see how the season develops for the Maranello-based team.