Throttle test on the colorful Paul Ricard circuit

There is no lack of intrigue before the French GP – will the winner get to meet the gorilla decorated in the colors of the flag this year as well? How many laps will it take to figure out the track configuration in the strip world? But if we talk about more serious matters, intense battles are expected both for the leading positions and the last points.

Changing the scales

Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of Ferrari and Red Bull is becoming increasingly difficult. Heading to Europe, it became clear that the Ferrari dominates the corners but is powerless against the pace of the bulls on the straights, but at the same time has other factors affecting performance directly in race mode.

In France, it is expected that Verstappen will no longer have the deficit in tire wear that was observed in Austria, while Leclair will be able to breathe easier, as engine problems usually manifest themselves on tracks well above sea level with reduced oxygen concentration in the air. At the same time, the heat wave raging in Europe will add to the intrigue of the French GP. On Sunday, the thermometer will surely approach the 35 degree mark, and it will not be possible to hide in the shadow of the cloud, making the race a challenge for the car’s cooling system.

“Ferrari” have recovered from a moment of weakness, moreover, they have arrived at the Paul Ricard track with a new floor. Will it help you prevail? It is expected that Leclerc will use the new specification and Sainz the old one in Friday’s practice in order to more accurately compare and evaluate its effectiveness.

It is significant that in the last five races both Ferraris and Red Bull drivers have won. Although on a good day Perez and Sainz can keep up the pace of Verstappen and Leclair, in the second half of the season you have to expect that their strategy may have to be sacrificed more often for the sake of a teammate, and Sainz faces a penalty for an engine change after a barbecue party in Austria.

Optimism with fewer tests

Lewis Hamilton will celebrate his 300th Formula 1 start in France. No driver has ever won after reaching this limit. The season as a whole does not give rise to high expectations, because Mercedes drivers, despite seven podiums, have not been higher than the third step, and they have also advanced several times after the mishaps of the leaders.

The team is convinced that Paul Ricard’s track is one of the most suitable for their car. In addition, they also have a trump card in their azote – a new front anti-wing, which should reduce the intensity of shaking on the straights and help with the improvement of top speed.

Each team must give a chance to one of the new drivers twice during the season during Friday practice. “Mercedes” decided that France is the right time to put Formula E champion Nick de Vries, whose name has repeatedly been mentioned in the list of potential “Williams” candidates, in the first practice sessions in Lewis Hamilton’s car. This is not a new track and the data collected by the team will hardly put Luisa at a significant disadvantage, however, it must be remembered that this is a sport where even a hundredth of a second can decide victory from defeat.

Graphics: Pirelli

Unrealized potential

Alpine and McLaren arrive in France on equal points, while neither has as many combined as Mercedes, although the trio have often been relatively close together in terms of speed. “Alpine” successfully managed to eliminate the worries about endurance in the first stages – Alonso scored points in each of the last six stages, while Ocon has retired only once this year. Of course, the hiccups in the sprint seriously hampered Alonso’s weekend in Austria.

The “McLaren” team has almost no endurance problems, but it is difficult to see a glimmer of hope. There are no more relegations like at the beginning of the season and under normal conditions Norris collects his points, however, similar to the year before, Daniel Ricciardo has not been able to adapt and reduce the deficit. During the season, he managed to enter the top ten races only three times. The Australian has announced that he will stay at McLaren next year, but the team is keeping quiet for now.

Following the trends of the last races, all the aces are on the side of “Alpine” – Alonso is starting to catch up in the first stages, but Ocon is a solid value who avoids mistakes. The blue cars are much more versatile, so it looks more and more like the oranges will go into the summer break after the French and Hungarian stages as the fifth fastest team. Of course, F1 prophecies very rarely come true…

Still turning heads, 100 years later. ????

Seb piloted Green Pea for a special lap around Circuit Paul Ricard, commemorating our Grand Prix debut at the 1922 #FrenchGP.

A historic moment for @astonmartinuniting the past with the present.#F1 #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/6jwgIf8gnR

— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) July 21, 2022

Home advantage

For the first time in a long time, the French GP will feature two hosts who can be proud of F1 victories. The careers of Pierre Gazlee and Esteban Ocon have developed relatively similarly – in both cases, a brilliant talent has not really found the promised place, so they had to take a step back.

If Okon more or less lives up to the expectations placed on him this year, then Gazli’s performance this year can be assessed as quite dull against the background of the two previous seasons. “AlphaTauri” has made serious aerodynamic improvements for the races in Pierre’s homeland. Their main task is to develop the potential of the formula in the fast turns, which has been the team’s main Achilles heel.

In the last eight races, “AlphaTauri” have scored less points than all other teams, excluding “Williams”. Although this package would have been useful already at Silverstone, this will be a great opportunity to understand its effectiveness ahead of the Hungaroring and Spa, where tricky and fast turns follow one another.

Schedule: FIA Formula One

What comes slowly comes well

Mick Schumacher has a fantastic talent to turn on the turbo speed a season and a half after his debut. This was particularly evident in the European F3 and later the F2 title was won in a similar manner. It seemed that F1 would be different. First, this year’s cars are significantly different from last year’s. Secondly, this is the first season when he is expected on the battle track, which he missed last year, starting in the decisively slower team with the oligarch’s son, who was half a second slower in the lap.

The lack of points was not Mick’s main problem – it was his powerlessness against Kevin Magnussen. While the other teams are throwing in new parts left and right, it seemed instinctively that the competitiveness of the Haas would disappear, but the American outfit is working hard to make the powerhouse they have as efficient as possible. How will the duel between Magnussen and Schumacher develop and how will their relationship change if they have to race against each other on the track?

Take part in the F1 prediction game!
Take a look at the F1 calendar!
Enjoy the race on F1TV or Viaplay!
Join the F1 fan club!

Related