New year same old Ferrari? Well, as of lap 20 of the season-opening Bahrain GP, that seems to be the case. Standard practice resumed in the circus after the first lights out of the season in the desert with Ferrari’s crown prince Charles Leclerc facing issues with his car from the start. Leclerc started the race in P2 and maintained that position for the first few laps but started falling down the pecking order and was overtaken by his teammate twice before he knew it. After his first pit stop, the Monegasque revealed what made him a sitting duck in front of Carlos Sainz.

Not once, but twice Sainz passed Leclerc in the opening race before lap 20. It was forthcoming as Ferrari’s Monegasque constantly locked up in almost every braking zone. The SF-24 let out a gust of white smoke every time Leclerc tried to slightly brake late. We also saw it almost every time a car overtook him, including his teammate.

After his first pit stop, as heard on his team radio, Leclerc revealed the issue behind the constant locking up. He said, “Something was very wrong with that set of soft tires. The fronts were locking like crazy.”

The soft compounds on Leclerc’s Ferrari did not warm up uniformly, and the varying tire temperatures in the front two resulted in the lock-ups. Apart from the tire temp, the balance was also contributing to the lockups. “The balance is really weird, really oversteery,” said Leclerc.

However, his fate remained the same on the hard compound tires as Leclerc was oversteering and locking up even after his pit stop. “I just cannot get out of front locking, everywhere!” Leclerc complained on his radio.

“It Was a Devastating Result for [Charles LeClerc]”: Lewis Hamilton Went to the Ferrari Side in 2019 After His Future Team’s Loss

Heartbreaking start to the season, especially after the Monegasque’s SF-24 showed such promise in the qualifying. As usual, Ferrari lacks the race pace and management to challenge for a win.

If they can, we might not see Leclerc at the forefront with Sainz already showcasing it’s every man for himself in his last year with Ferrari. His overtakes on Leclerc highlight he will be helping himself instead of waiting for anyone else to help him including Leclerc despite his earlier admission.

Carlos Sainz helps himself instead of waiting around for Charles Leclerc to come around

Sainz received the news of his Ferrari future in the most public and humiliating manner, which Leclerc had a part to play in. With a drive for the Italian team in 2025 out of the question, Sainz entered the now current season with no restrictions and with a very clear mindset. He made it evident with his statement suggesting he will be helping his teammate whenever and wherever he can while demanding the same.

He said, “I have always been a team man, exemplary in this sense, for whatever team I have led. I will definitely help Charles if it is necessary, in the same way I expect Charles to help me.”

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However, in the first race of the season, Sainz has already showcased he will not be waiting around for a helping hand. Instead, Sainz is taking the every man-for-himself approach.

WATCH THIS STORY: Is Carlos Sainz Looking to Move away from Ferrari?

We can’t blame him as well, he needs to secure a drive for next season. However, it’s just the first race of the season and we’re sure Leclerc won’t make life this easy when he doesn’t face any issues with his car.