Hidden Bahrain Grand Prix hazard as Charles Leclerc leads Sepang complaints

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is among an number of drivers to have raised concerns over a degrading track surface following Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Large stones were evident on tyres as the drivers traversed the pit lane and prepared for their practice starts in Malaysia.

Malaysia track sparks Bahrain Grand Prix concerns

F1 has seen the asphalt degrade at two events already this year.

In Monaco, this played a part in at least one race-ending crash, while a patch at the Rettifilo Chicane in Monza sent Kimi Antonelli into the gravel as he chased down George Russell for victory.

While there were no obvious patches of concern in Malaysia, drivers spoke in more global terms about the track surface, which has not been fully replaced since F1’s last visit in 2017.

Instead, patches at several key corners have been resurfaced.

The track had not seen any action in the three months leading up to F1’s return, meaning there was a natural build-up on the surface.

Leclerc, who set the fastest time on Friday, said: “Today the conditions were very, very, very poor, and so it was very slippery.

“For that, we need to be good at anticipating what it will feel like tomorrow once the track is in better condition.

“That will be very important for us to do well tomorrow.”

“I really enjoy driving the layout. I think the only thing is this tarmac is incredibly rough,” said Haas driver Ollie Bearman.

“It’s like Bahrain in terms of roughness, and always with those tracks, you have a lot less grip.

“The car’s moving around a lot more. It’s a bit less fun to drive, let’s say, than some other circuits.

“[It’s] probably less fun than it was 10 years ago. I’m not sure. I didn’t drive that, but it’s a really fun layout.

“It’s just a shame that the tarmac is so aged, but that’s normal in climates like this.”

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Williams driver Alex Albon was in agreement on the surface, adding: “I wish the Tarmac up was a bit better.

“It creates character. It’s extremely aggressive. I think the strategies on Sunday will be really interesting.”

Ordinarily, stones and other detritus are only evident on tyres if a driver has been through the gravel or another area beyond the white lines.

But with evidence of rubble on the tyres of every car during practice starts, this is another element that drivers will be forced to battle in a race that could feature a mix of two and three-stop strategies.

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