Welcome to your A-Z Guide to the 2022 French Grand Prix!
As we wind down the first half of the Formula 1 season, round 12 of the championship heads
to the sunny climbs of Le Castellet France for a blast around the Circuit Paul Ricard.
A pivotal time in this year's championship with the summer break right around the corner
and upgrades shifting the landscape of the F1 pecking order ever so slightly.
Despite its turbulent history with F1 fans, the Circuit Paul Ricard should provide a good
setting for this weekend's race and we're here to help you get set with our complete
preview for the 2022 French Grand Prix.
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The Circuit Paul Ricard is one of the most renowned racing tracks in the world and is
an ideal circuit for testing any racing car.
The 5.8KM track is easily recognizable with its multi-colored run off strips and its complicated
configuration.
There are 247 different track configurations possible at the Circuit Paul Ricard but Formula
1 will be using 15 corners, 6 that go left and 9 that go right.
Paul Ricard has a good mixture of all types of corners that will test every area of the
car but the two long straights means a high top speed is crucial for success.
The French Grand Prix is known to have one of the highest average track temperatures
of the year at 50 degrees celsius.
With high air temperatures expected this weekend in France, track temps will be an area for
focus as teams try and manage tyre wear and find an ideal strategy.
And if you didn't know, the colored lines at the Circuit Paul Ricard aren't just for
show.
They make up a high-grip asphalt run off system that replaces traditional gravel traps.
The blue zone isn't as abrasive and is only mildly punishing while the red zone is highly
abrasive and can damage tyres quite easily but it will help slow down the cars.
France has a rich history in Formula 1 but the Circuit Paul Ricard is fairly new to modern
F1.
The first race held at this circuit was back in 1971 and there have been 17 championship
races in total.
The most successful constructors at Paul Ricard are McLaren and Williams who have each won
three races back in the day.
Mercedes has had the most success since the return of this track as they've won two out
of the three races here . Out of the current drivers, only Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen
have won at Paul Ricard with Hamilton winning in 2018 & 19 and Verstappen taking victory
in last year's Grand Prix.
If you want to win a race around this track, you are best suited to start on pole as 65%
of race winners have taken victory when starting first.
Drivers have also had success winning from lower down of the grid as 23% have been able
to win when starting from outside the top three.
And finally, known as one of the safest tracks in the world, seeing a safety car deployed
at Paul Ricard is rare with only a 6% chance of a deployment.
We're back to a traditional weekend format so check out the session start times for free
practice and the grand prix.
Let's start by looking at the projected weather forecast for France.
It's going to be a hot July weekend in Le Castellet as temperatures in the 30's are
expected throughout Friday to Sunday with no rain and plenty of heat.
Moving onto tyres, Pirelli have brought the middle range of compounds with the C2, C3,
and C4.
The variety of corners places medium stress on the tyres with drivers having to manage
the front tyres cooling down on the long Mistral straight.
A one stop is usually the most successful strategy but Max Verstappen pulled off the
win in 2021 with a gambling two stop strategy.
Teams continue to upgrade their cars as this weekend Alpha Tauri will have major upgrades.
They are mainly on the aero side that should give them a decent leap in performance.
Nicholas Latifi will also finally get to run the upgraded parts on his Williams this weekend
after a race delay.
Here are the rest of your weekend notes for the 2022 French Grand Prix.
So that will conclude your preview for this weekend's French Grand Prix.
We hope that you enjoyed the video and that you will enjoy this weekend's F1 action.
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