Major blow for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc suffers floor damage after hitting a kerb

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc suffered a major blow during the morning session of Day 1 of the pre-season testing at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain. The Monegasque driver saw the drain cover on the kerb of Turn 11 hit his floor, causing damage.

The incident brought out the first red flag of the pre-season test and caused a delay of 40 minutes, which eventually resulted in the morning session being suspended.

The Italian team and the crew worked on the car during the delay and were able to fix the floor, which would allow Charles Leclerc to resume his testing in the extended evening session.

It would be the final chance for Leclerc to learn as much as possible about the SF-24 before handing over the reins to teammate Carlos Sainz for the final day of testing on Friday, February 23.

While analyzing his first laps of the SF-24 on Day 1 of the test, Charles Leclerc told Ferrari's official website:

"Our first morning of testing was quite productive, especially in terms of mileage. As for the performance, it’s just too early to comment or draw conclusions. We ran all the tests we planned and things are going ahead as expected, which is a positive. We will continue working and hope to have two more useful days of testing ahead of the GP."

Charles Leclerc chimes in on his initial impressions of the 2024 challenger

Charles Leclerc stated that he was happier about the 2024 challenger compared to the initial laps in the 2023 car.

As per Motorsport.com, the Ferrari driver said:

"I remember that after the first lap last year, or if it wasn't the first lap, it was the first three, four laps, I wasn't really happy with the behavior of the car. The car was very, very difficult to drive. This year, the car feels healthier and in a better place."

Charles Leclerc was, however, hesitant to speak about the overall competitiveness of the SF-24, saying:

"On the other hand, I want to push on the point that that doesn't mean anything on the competitiveness of the car – because if other teams have done a bigger step forward in terms of lap time gains, then it can be an easier car to drive but if it's not fast enough, it won't be fast enough on track.

"In terms of the actual feeling of the very first laps, I would say I've had a better feeling this year than I did last year."