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The French GP will be held at the Circuit Paul Ricard next weekend, which is Formula 1's final race before its summer break.
Max Verstappen, the winner of the Drivers' Championship odds, failed to win a record fourth race at the Red Bull Ring on Friday before the French GP. Despite this, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc narrowed the gap in the championship race to 38 points thanks to a victory in his first race since April. On July 24, the French Grand Prix takes place, so here are the early odds for winning.
There are 167 track configurations available at Paul Ricard, ranging from 0.8 to 5.5 kilometers. As a result of high speed, Elio de Angelis's Brabham BT55 wing detached at the circuit in 1986, which led to his death. There have been eight times that the winner of the Paul Ricard Championship has also won the World Championship in the same year (1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1989, 2018, and 2019). In the history of the championships, only René Arnoux (1982) and Ronnie Peterson (1973, 1974) have been in the position of losing
Pastis magnate Paul Ricard provided funding for the circuit's opening on April 19, 1970.
In addition to its 1.8km (1.1 mi) long Mistral straight and elongated design, it is also highly regarded for its tracks. In addition, the track is very flat as it is constructed on a plateau. Including 15 turns, it spans 5.842 km in length. There is a Grade 1 license for the circuit from the FIA.
Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most wins at the French GP with eight wins. Among the constructors, Ferrari has won 17 races. As of 2019, Sebastian Vettel has set the fastest lap mark at the track with timing of 1:32.740, driving for Ferrari behind the wheel.
Even though Sergio Perez had a disappointing performance in Austria, Red Bull dominated the drivers' championship standings. Max Verstappen leads the standings with 208 points. The Ferrari team's Charles Leclerc has overtaken Perez, taking second place with 170 points. In third place, Perez makes up 151 points, ahead of Carlos Sainz, George Russell, and Lewis Hamilton.
There are 359 points to lead Red Bull in the constructors' championship, while Ferrari is considerably behind with 303 points. A further gap exists between Mercedes and Ferrari, who are in third place, with 237 points earned.
As a result of his lack of speed at the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen was not the fastest driver in many races. With Ferrari's strategy, it was evident that it was confident in its pace in Austria, and Charles Leclerc controlled the lead three times over him.
As a result of Red Bull and Verstappen's dominance throughout the season, Verstappen opens up as a favorite to win in France.
As a result of Leclerc's win in Spielberg, the gap between the two top racers was trimmed to just 38 points, giving them plenty of reason to be hopeful. Even though the Red Bull Ring was a circuit that should have favored Leclerc's strength and Verstappen's excellent history there as well, Leclerc's Ferrari was clearly quicker than Verstappen's Red Bull.
A second straight win for Leclerc and Ferrari would be quite a curveball in the championship fight at the Circuit Paul Ricard, another high-speed track where Red Bull should benefit than Ferrari.
Recent weeks have offered Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes tantalizing curveballs in the upcoming title race. This year, Mercedes and Hamilton should be competitive again, as their car is improving, their top speed is high, and they have performed consistently at purpose-built circuits in recent years.
Christian Horner fears for the French Grand Prix in combination with the enforcement of track limits. Where it already caused record numbers in Austria, it might be even worse at Paul Ricard. The track limits are also a concern for Horner. As part of Briton's argument, he said the circuit's character made driving easier at the Red Bull Ring. A great deal of emphasis is placed on pushing the limits of the drivers on the circuit due to its character. There is, however, an even greater concern about the French GP before the race, according to Red Bull Racing's team manager.
''I expect Paul Ricard to be a bigger problem because you can really gain time there. And of course, you have hectares of asphalt there, so that also invites you to drive off-track,'' Horner said.
At the top of the points table, Ferrari and Red Bull are battling against each other, and Mercedes has managed to salvage the best results given the lack of package at the beginning of the season. The 2022 Formula 1 season is shaping up to be another classic. With 11 rounds to go, we’re at the halfway point of the season, and after two wins on the trot from Ferrari, the pendulum seems to be swinging back from Red Bull to the Scuderia in the championship hunt at the French Grand Prix.
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