Charles Leclerc lost out on winning the 2019 Bahrain GP due to engine problems, and it was race winner Lewis Hamilton who consoled him.
The 2019 Bahrain GP was Leclerc’s second race with Ferrari. He made his F1 debut the previous year with Sauber, and impressed everyone in the paddock with his strong performances.
The Monegasque was always tipped to be Ferrari’s next World Champion, and people had high hopes from him going into the 2019 season.
At his first race in Australia, he finished P5. In Bahrain however, he showed everyone what he was all about, earning his first pole position in Formula 1.
LET’S GOOOOO!!!! First win of the season ❤️
So incredibly proud of the whole team for the incredible work produced to get us back to this level. It is only the beginning, it’s now time to work harder than ever to stay there 👊 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/OcXcoX54KN— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) March 20, 2022
In the race, he performed spectacularly, but an engine problem towards the end of the race, took the win away from him. He did finish P3, but on a weekend where he was faster than anyone else, it didn’t matter much. It was going to be Leclerc’s first race win in F1, and he was visibly distraught after the race.
In the cool down room after the race, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (who ended up winning the race), took time out to console to young Ferrari driver.
Also read: Charles Leclerc optimistic of a turn in Ferrari’s fortune after astounding Bahrain GP win
Lewis Hamilton told Charles Leclerc that he had a bright future ahead of him
After the race, Hamilton praised Leclerc for driving flawlessly that weekend. He agreed to what the Brit said, adding that he did so ‘until the problem’.
“Hey man, you got a long long future ahead of you,” Hamilton replied. A quiet Charles Leclerc responded with an, “I hope so.”
The Mercedes driver is one of the greatest in F1 history. He’s been through several ups and downs in his F1 career, including the moment where he lost out on the World Championship in heartbreaking fashion, in his rookie year.
He used his experience as an example to tell Leclerc that, “I know it sucks at the moment. But you’ve got a long long way to go.”
🤝 @LewisHamilton x @Charles_Leclerc
Lewis consoles a young Charles after a heartbreaker at Bahrain 2019 pic.twitter.com/GtXPwoTxyM
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) March 23, 2022
2019 turned out to be a very good year for Leclerc as he went on to win not one, but two races (Spa and Monza). The following two years were quiet for him and the entire Ferrari outfit.
In 2022 however, Ferrari are now making major strides in their quest to return to the top of F1. Leclerc’s redemption in Bahrain came in the form of a victory in the season opener earlier this month.
