France Grand Prix – Predictions and Presentation

Formula 1 is coming back to France this weekend for our national Grand Prix. It’s an opportunity to witness a new battle between Red Bull and Ferrari on the Paul Ricard circuit, unless the improvements made by Mercedes allow the Silver Arrows to cause an upset.

An 18th visit to Paul Ricard

This weekend, the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet will host Formula 1 for the 18th time. Since the first race won by Jackie Stewart in 1971, three drivers have managed to win there more than once: Lewis Hamilton (2018, 2019), Nigel Mansell (1986, 1987), and especially Alain Prost, a four-time winner on home soil (1983, 1988, 1989, 1990).

The Paul Ricard circuit has 15 turns on its 5.861 km layout. The long Mistral straight (over 1.8 km) is now interrupted by a chicane at turns 8 and 9, providing a great opportunity for overtaking for the drivers. The braking at the first turn, at the end of the DRS zone of the start-finish straight, is also likely to be the site of attacks.

The choice of Pirelli.

At Castellet, Pirelli is bringing the C2, C3, and C4 tires, which are in the mid-range. The hardest compound (C1) used in Silverstone is being omitted, as well as the softest compound (C5) which was used in Austria, for example.

Located in Le Castellet, the Paul Ricard Circuit is a well balanced track with flat out and technical sections that pose a challenge for the tyres!

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— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) July 19, 2022

The stakes of the race

Red Bull and Max Verstappen arrive in France leading both championships. The Dutchman has a 38-point lead over Charles Leclerc, and his team is 56 units ahead of Ferrari. However, the momentum could be on the side of the Italians.

Charles Leclerc emerged victorious two weeks ago in Austria, on a Red Bull Ring that was dominated by the team with the winged bull. The Scuderia could have even secured a one-two finish if Carlos Sainz’s engine hadn’t failed towards the end of the race. Another duel is looming between the two top teams, and Charles Leclerc will be eager to further reduce his gap in the standings.

However, we must also take into account Mercedes. The German team, less competitive since the beginning of the season, has managed to pick up the scraps left by the numerous mistakes and retirements of Red Bull and Ferrari to secure seven podium finishes. The eight-time world champions arrive in France with many improvements to their W13 that could potentially allow them to challenge for a podium position on equal terms.

The editorial forecasts

The editorial team is divided for this Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are sharing the favor of the predictions to see who will come out on top (five editors each). As for the pole position, there is a slight advantage for the Monegasque (4 votes to 3), while Perez, Hamilton, Russell, and … Alonso are also popular choices. However, Carlos Sainz is not in sight for our editors.

The Spanish’s mediocre start to the season also does not secure him a spot on the podium for most of us, as only three writers envision him climbing up there. On the contrary, the improvements from Mercedes could have an impact since as many as seven writers predict Hamilton on the podium, with only one predicting a new top 3 for Russell.

On the crazy prediction side of the day, special mention to Eric Soussy, a patriot till the end, who envisions an Alpine pole position for Alonso, followed by a French one-two with Gasly ahead of Ocon. It’s unlikely that all of this will come true, but there’s no doubt that the stands at Paul Ricard would erupt!