2022 Formula One French Grand Prix

Haas F1 Formula One Grand Prix.jpg
Formula 1 is on track this weekend for the French Grand Prix with Ferrari looking to repeat the impressive pace shown in Austria last time out.

Circuit Paul Ricard may not be the most well-loved track on the F1 calendar, but it could prove to be an important showcase of whether Ferrari is finally able to keep pace with Red Bull again.

The first races of the 2022 season seemed to indicate that Ferrari would be the dominant car this year, but momentum quickly shifted to Max Verstappen and Red Bull. But the tide may have turned once again, as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s Ferraris looked like the faster team two weeks ago in Austria.

Sainz would retire late in the race due to engine trouble, and Leclerc also faced mechanical issues before securing the victory in Spielberg, so success in Ferrari’s near future may come down to reliability as much as pace.

Austria also saw Mercedes drive Lewis Hamilton on the podium for the third consecutive race amidst a tough season for the seven-time world champion. Mercedes is once again expected to introduce significant upgrades to their cars over the coming weeks and hopes to put Hamilton or George Russell to the top of the podium for the first time in 2022.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in front in the drivers and constructors championship at the moment, though Leclerc was able to shrink the gap to Verstappen with his most recent win.

The French Grand Prix should see clear weather throughout the weekend, though temperatures could be hotter than usual. This could mean extra challenges for tire selection and preservation during the race.

Who do you think will win the French Grand Prix this year? Let us know your prediction in the comments below.

Picture: Haas F1 Twitter
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Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

And to all people: if you don't want for an F1 thread to become a LH thread, keep it simple: do not reply to the LH fanbois.
I agree with you. But what upsets me is that "professionals" are behaving like fanboys these days, which in turn fuels the fanboys like this zuneguy to keep spouting nonsense, i mean, look at this:


Its more than half a year away now, and these "impartial" jornalists are still salty, and just not aknowledging how Max was just superior all year, putting all the blame on Masi.
 
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I agree with you. But what upsets me is that "professionals" are behaving like fanboys these days, which in turn fuels the fanboys like this zuneguy to keep spouting nonsense, i mean, look at this:


Its more than half a year away now, and these "impartial" jornalists are still salty, and just not aknowledging how Max was just superior all year, putting all the blame on Masi.
Have we ever discovered how that fresh engine stayed fresh for the last 4 races and produced more power than previous fresh engine swaps?
 
Premium
It happened in 1967. It was universally hated, they never returned.
Pai, you do possibly make a good point there… Paul Ricard, apart from its history has always been bland for me too… reminds me now of the Las Vegas car park F1 races… loads of run off and all then stupid lines painted around the track…

For France to move the French GP to somewhere else it needs to be a great circuit… it used to be a magny cours…

I fear if Paul Ricard loses its F1 race France might have to go without a race next year…

Pau anyone?…
 
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Pai, you do possibly make a good point there… Paul Ricard, apart from its history has always been bland for me too… reminds me now of the Las Vegas car park F1 races… loads of run off and all then stupid lines painted around the track…

For France to move the French GP to somewhere else it needs to be a great circuit… it used to be a magny cours…

I fear if Paul Ricard loses its F1 race France might have to go without a race next year…

Pau anyone?…
Pau is to small for a F1 car like Monaco
Why not magny cour, like this track
 
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IIRC, Magny Cours's problems are not the track per se, but rather its location not being easy to reach. I've heard that they are investing heavily on the track though, so they could be making a bid to get the French GP soon.

The only other option is Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, which I don't think it would work well without some new layout that allows F1 cars to stretch their legs, but if the money is there, who knows? The full 24H track is not possible, for many reasons.
 
I agree with you. But what upsets me is that "professionals" are behaving like fanboys these days, which in turn fuels the fanboys like this zuneguy to keep spouting nonsense, i mean, look at this:


Its more than half a year away now, and these "impartial" jornalists are still salty, and just not aknowledging how Max was just superior all year, putting all the blame on Masi.
All I'm saying is that I'm tired of seeing people like yourself trying to put Verstappen up against Lewis as though they are great rivals in the sport when they are not. You want to talk comparisons do it with the right drivers, as I said Vettel, Alonso, Button, Raikonnen. These are drivers who have battled Lewis and should be talked in the same breathe as they have done more, and without winning in xuch controversy. Verstappen hasn't done enough and should not even be mentioned with him - it's silly.

Verstappen is not his greatest or best rival in this sport period. He's not on Lewis's level.
 
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All I'm saying is that I'm tired of seeing people like yourself trying to put Verstappen up against Lewis as though they are great rivals in the sport when they are not. You want to talk comparisons do it with the right drivers, as I said Vettel, Alonso, Button, Raikonnen. These are drivers who have battled Lewis and should be talked in the same breathe as they have done more, and without winning in xuch controversy. Verstappen hasn't done enough and should not even be mentioned with him - it's silly.

Verstappen is not his greatest or best rival in this sport period. He's not on Lewis's level.
You are nobody to tell me what i should think, and what my opinion should be.

Max is perfectly on par with Lewis to me, even slightly better.

That's my opinion, i can have it, so now leave me alone.
 
I agree with you. But what upsets me is that "professionals" are behaving like fanboys these days, which in turn fuels the fanboys like this zuneguy to keep spouting nonsense, i mean, look at this:


Its more than half a year away now, and these "impartial" jornalists are still salty, and just not aknowledging how Max was just superior all year, putting all the blame on Masi.

Yes, it's irritating and it's hard to refrain ourselves from speaking out, and I guess that if you live in UK, it's even harder. But at some point we need to take the high road, or it gets ugly fast. Fanboys will find fuel to their inner fire anywhere, even the clouds will take the shape of Hamilton getting robbed of a crown if you ask them.
 
You are nobody to tell me what i should think, and what my opinion should be.

Max is perfectly on par with Lewis to me, even slightly better.

That's my opinion, i can have it, so now leave me alone.
You started the conversation with me. You don't like the truth, don't look my direction kiddo.
 
Premium
You started the conversation with me. You don't like the truth, don't look my direction kiddo.

I looked back in this thread and there was nice discussion going on about the French GP till the moment you stepped in with your defending LH post at Sunday things got from bad to worse. Please look in the mirror before offending other people.
 
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Not only this, but Lewis was using experimental setups for the entire first half of this season due to the new design of the car. He was helping them research and develop for the new regulations.

Russell is new to the team so they gave him stable setups so he could become familiar with the team and build his confidence by finally being ahead of the midfield and no longer being a back marker.

Now that Lewis is running the "ideal" setups, the difference between them is apparent. This isn't a slight to Russell. He's a good driver. Passing Checo isn't easy, you can even ask Lewis about that lol. But obviously he's no Lewis Hamilton. And that's not a bad thing... Even Max Verstappen would have to have all the stars align in order to win a staggering 7 world championships. And that's even crazier when you consider Lewis would've been a 9-time winner if he had 1 more point in 2007 and didn't get screwed by the stewards/Masi in Abu Dhabi 2021.
oh my... heaven help us
 
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There isn't a driver in the history of the sport who didn't have a winning car, but when you get into it t's what you do with it is all that matters. Also as a driver you have to make the right choices in your career for you to succeed and Lewis has done that with perfection. He's also the only driver that I have ever seen who brings out a drivers weaknesses and makes them pretty much look bad.

I mean he's the only driver that I have ever seen who is so good that the sport itself had to step in to keep him from winning another WDC. That's unprecedented stuff.

Now as far as this season in the last four races Lewis has looked much better than Russell since the cars stability issues have been ironed out. in fact Russell has been involved in some kind of on-track incident in four races in a row, including yesterday while Hamilton has gotten more out of the car in those races. No one is writing Russel off, we just have eyes to see what's up. What you don't understand is that Lewis has been driving behind Russel all season to gather feedback for the team, and it has been paying off.
I wish someone hadn't started him off :(
 
Premium
Are all F1 race articles going to be spammed by a certain besotted individual ???
 
I looked back in this thread and there was nice discussion going on about the French GP till the moment you stepped in with your defending LH post at Sunday things got from bad to worse. Please look in the mirror before offending other people.
I don't know you, and I don't know what you are talking about. All that I can tell you is that you looked through the comments and saw what you wanted to see I guess. I mean I don't know what you need to read or hear to soothe your psyche but I was talking about the race, and Hamilton vs Russell since the improvements of the car, that was my intention.

Maybe the problem is that every time I discuss Lewis someone wants to bring Verstappen into the mix. I don't know why because I don't get the similarities between the two to make any comparisons except that they are both drivers in the same sport. It usually snowballs from there.

If talking about Lewis Hamilton, and Mercedes is offensive to people then I don't know what to say to that.

Thank you for your.... suggestion but I'm fine, I don't need it.
 

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