2022 French Grand Prix Preview

As F1 heads to Circuit Paul Ricard, France, here is a guide to everything you need to know about 2022 French Grand Prix.

A cracking Austrian Grand Prix saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc reduce his title deficit to championship leader, Max Verstappen to 38 points and with 52 points on offer ahead of the summer break, Leclerc will be looking for further success on French soil just 117 miles from his home – Monaco.

This race though will see increased focus on Alpine and Esteban Ocon as well as AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly as they all look to deliver a strong patriotic result on home soil.

Now, here is a full guide to the 2022 French GP featuring track details, timings plus more.

 

Track Guide

 

Circuit: Circuit Paul Ricard

Laps: 53

Race Distance: 309.690km

Tyre Selection: C2, C3 & C4

 

Schedule

Date	Session	Time (BST)
Friday 22 July	FP1	1:00pm
Friday 22 July	FP2	4:00pm
Saturday 23 July	FP3	12:00pm
Saturday 23 July	Qualifying	3:00pm
Sunday 24 July	Race	2:00pm

 

Five Key Pointers

• Having struggled with tyre degradation in Austria, Red Bull will be eager for a reaction if Verstappen is to head to Hungary then summer break as definite championship leader.
• Ferrari have made tweaks to their DRS which has in turn enabled more top speed which will be crucial around this circuit which contains three straights.
• Unlike their three previous visits since the French GP returned to the calendar in 2018, this year’s race weekend takes place in July rather than June which throws up a small challenge in terms of data relevance.
• With hot temperatures of over 30 degrees forecast across the weekend, all ten teams will face a tough task in terms of controlling temperatures across braking, power unit and tyres.
• Mercedes will be looking for a strong weekend given the smooth nature of Circuit Paul Ricard on top of several fast corners like Silverstone.

 

Last Time Out

A topsy-turvy battle in 2021 saw pole-sitter, Verstappen forced onto a two-stop strategy after a second-corner error on the opening lap, yet his tyre strategy gamble paid off as he undercut both Mercedes drivers to clinch victory with a penultimate lap overtake.

 

Race Recaps

• Bahrain
• Saudi Arabia
• Australia
• Emilia Romagna
• Miami
• Spain
• Monaco
• Azerbaijan
• Canada
• Great Britain
• Austria