-
Penalised Sainz quickest in second French GP session.
Sainz, who faces a 10-place grid drop due to fresh engine components that could still rise, set a time of 1:32.527s to finish 0.101s ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc.
22/07/2022, 17:07
by Phillip Horton
Carlos Sainz led the way during second practice for Formula 1’s French Grand Prix as Ferrari finished comfortably clear at Circuit Paul Ricard. Both Ferrari drivers carried out two push runs on the Soft compound and found significant gains on that second effort in a session that was relatively free of incidents or action.
World Champion Max Verstappen was third-best, 0.550s down on Sainz, having complained of understeer on his Soft tyre run. Verstappen had been fastest following the runs on Medium tyres during the opening stages of the session, eclipsing Leclerc by just 0.010s.
Mercedes has indicated that Paul Ricard could suit its layout but the W13s were firmly third-best on Friday afternoon. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton claimed fourth and fifth respectively but the younger Briton was 0.764s behind Sainz, with the seven-time champion almost a second down.
‘Carlos Sainz FP2 P1’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...ch-gp-session/
2022 French Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results
22/07/2022 at 17:06
Andrew Lewin
2022 French Grand Prix - Free Practice 2 results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:32.527s 22
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:32.628s + 0.101s 22
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.077s + 0.550s 17
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:33.291s + 0.764s 20
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:33.517s + 0.990s 23
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:33.607s + 1.080s 21
7 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:33.906s + 1.379s 24
8 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.928s + 1.401s 24
9 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 1:33.984s + 1.457s 23
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:34.060s + 1.533s 16
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard, round 12 of the 2022 Formula 1 season;
https://f1i.com/news/448708-2022-fre...2-results.html
Carlos Sainz’s grid penalty gives Charles Leclerc a tougher task at French Grand Prix
i News22/07/2022, 18:26
By Michael Hincks
Another showdown between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen is in the offing at the French Grand Prix if Friday’s practice sessions are anything to go by. Ferrari face an uphill battle come the GP given Sainz will start Sunday’s race 11th at best as he serves a 10-place grid penalty for taking new engine parts.
That demotion opens the door for Red Bull at a time when Leclerc is looking to get his championship bid back on track. Unless Sainz can quickly weave his way back through the pack, Leclerc may be left fighting both Red Bulls on Sunday as he looks to close the 38-point championship lead Verstappen currently holds.
However, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will also hope to be in the mix at a circuit that has served Mercedes well in recent years.
‘Charles Leclerc a tougher task’;
https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...28?ITO=newsnow
‘Everywhere’ deficit blunts Mercedes’ hopes of breakout French GP
Jul 22 2022, 18:36
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell admit the W13 was further off its main rivals than anticipated in French Grand Prix Friday practice, suggesting a hoped-for breakout weekend for the team at Paul Ricard may be out of reach.
The smooth and relatively high-speed layout of the Le Castellet-based venue is supposed to play to the strengths of the 2022 Mercedes, while high ambient temperatures should in theory aid in mitigating its weakness in tyre preparation.
But neither of those factors were particularly obvious on the timing screens on Friday, with Mercedes ending the day 0.764s off the pace in Russell’s hands and with Hamilton another two tenths down.
‘NO Breakout Weekend’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/every...out-french-gp/
Hamilton says Mercedes are “further back than we were in the last race”
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 22nd July 2022, 17:5122nd July 2022, 18:00
Written by Keith Collantine
“Today we’re in fourth and fifth so that’s kind of the region that we’ll be fighting for,” said Hamilton after today’s practice sessions. I don’t mean that we can’t be on the podium, I think we can still be up there. We’re just still not as quick as those front guys – we’re a little bit further back than we were in the last race.”
But Hamilton said the team “have a lot of work to do, a lot of ground to cover still” after being out-paced by Ferrari and Red Bull again on Friday. “The car’s not spectacular here, we don’t know why, but hopefully overnight we can make a bit of a step” he said. The team is lacking pace “everywhere” around the track, said Hamilton. “It’s just every corner. I’m going to have to dig deep into the data, but it just feels like we’re lacking downforce today. But otherwise it’s okay, I can only have empathy for the guys even further back.”
‘Dig Deep into the Data’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/22/...the-last-race/
Russell believes Mercedes in with "outside shot" of French GP win
Friday 22 July 2022 18:30
Ian Parkes
George Russell believes Mercedes only has "an outside shot" of victory in Sunday's French Grand Prix after lacking pace compared to initial hopes.
Asked whether he had an outside shot of victory or whether hopes were higher than that, Russell replied: "Outside shot is probably the way to put it.”
"We're probably a little bit further off the pace today than we would have hoped. Work to do tonight and back at the factories but never say never."
‘Outside Shot, Never Say Never’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87...-shot-victory/
Verstappen says Friday French GP practice sessions were ‘very difficult’ as Perez reveals issue that cost him in FP2
22 July 2022
Formula 1.
Red Bull trailed Ferrari in the brace of opening practice sessions in France and that led Max Verstappen to explain why he found Friday so challenging, while Sergio Perez encountered his own difficulties in a compromised FP2 session.
“I think FP2 was a little bit more difficult for us,” said championship leader Verstappen. “We just didn’t really get the balance like we hoped for, but also we are trying a few things with the car. So we’ll have a look at it all for tomorrow and of course try to be closer than what we were today. “In the long runs it’s a bit better but again, the tyres are running really hot and it’s very difficult to judge really where you are. But we know of course that we still have a little bit of work to do.”
Team mate Perez was sixth in FP1, 1.2s off the pace, and 10th in FP2 – 1.5s adrift – as he faced a challenging start to the weekend. The Mexican revealed that an issue with his car meant he couldn’t get a representative soft-tyred run. “We were basically having some delays, nothing really going on, a bit of an issue with one of the anti-roll bars but nothing major," he said. "It’s been a very short stint on that soft tyre but it’s what it is and hopefully tomorrow we are able to put it all together and be in the fight.”
‘Red Bull Challenging Compromises’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...i1rf13BA7.html
What went on in Ferrari-dominated second French GP practice
Jul 22 2022, 17:15
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who is set to serve a grid penalty in the French Grand Prix, set the pace in the second Friday practice session. Key moments:
> Ferrari half a second clear
> Verstappen third, Perez only 10th
> Big spin for Schumacher
As one of the very few drivers to run the soft compound rather than the medium on his opening run in FP2, Sainz established a lead of over eight tenths early on – with his former team-mate Max Verstappen and his current team-mate Charles Leclerc behind him, 0.010s apart on the yellow-walled tyres.
The biggest incident in the session befell Magnussen’s team-mate Mick Schumacher, the German caught out in a high-speed spin through the ‘double right’ Le Beausset and appeared quite fortunate to not end up in the barriers.
‘Ferrari Domination’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...h-gp-practice/
2022 French GP FP2: Magnussen hits the kerbs ‘really, really hard’ at Circuit Paul Ricard
22 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
Haas' Kevin Magnussen hits the kerbs at Circuit Paul Ricard "really, really hard" during second practice for the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix.
‘Kerb Bashing!’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...857913799.html
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the second practice session at Circuit Paul Ricard as Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2
22 July 2022
Formula 1.
‘Action Highlights’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qSTq4v3Xh.html
-
Max Verstappen seeks return to winning ways against fast but frail Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton aims to upset the title contenders and Mick Schumacher looks to make it three points finishes in a row... SEVEN things to look out for at the French Grand Prix.
• Max Verstappen holds a 38-point lead over Charles Leclerc in the title fight
• Leclerc won last time out in Austria and is hoping to build momentum in France
• Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes could look to upset the pair this weekend
• Mick Schumacher is looking to make it three consecutive point finishes
Published: 20:00, 22 July 2022
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline
Sportsmail breaks down seven things to look out for at the French Grand Prix...
VERSTAPPEN SEEKS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS
FERRARI ON FORM BUT LOOK FRAIL
MERCEDES' BEST TRACK YET THIS SEASON?
SCHUMACHER GOES FOR THREE IN A ROW
TRACK LIMIT TROUBLES
ISSUES WITH STEWARDS
ALPINE HOPE FOR BIG RESULT ON HOME SOIL
‘SEVEN topics at the French Grand Prix’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...French-GP.html
Danger looms for Ferrari despite headline pace; Mercedes upgrades underwhelm: F1 talking points
July 23rd, 2022 6:00 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Ferrari dominated practice at the French Grand Prix, but the true competitive picture isn’t so rosy for Maranello as the raw time sheet suggests. The margin the two Scuderia drivers wielded over Max Verstappen in third was more than half a second, a shockingly large number considering the tightness of the championship fight to date.
There was some exaggeration in the margin on RBR’s side of the equation, with the team still working to find the right set-up for what is a relatively well rounded technical challenge as a circuit.
“We just didn’t really get the balance like we hoped for, but also we are trying a few things with the car,” Verstappen said on Friday night. “So we’ll have a look at it all for tomorrow and of course try to be closer than what we were today.”
‘Ferrari Dangers Looming’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b88fc2d5827960
5 things we learned from Friday practice at the French Grand Prix
22 July 2022
F1 Correspondent & Presenter Lawrence Barretto
As Circuit Paul Ricard basked in the glorious sunshine and sweltering temperatures, F1 teams got down to business trying to understand how their cars and tyres would cope in such conditions across the French Grand Prix weekend. After two 60-minute practice sessions, it seems no team is emerging as a clear frontrunner, which sets things up nicely…
1. Ferrari look mighty in qualifying trim
2. Red Bull have the edge on race pace
3. Mercedes closer to the main fight
4. McLaren upgrade appears to be a good step
5. Alpine and AlphaTauri offer midfield threat
‘FIVE Lessons’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...0hzSrsgna.html
2022 F1 French Grand Prix preview: Teams to face extreme heat
20:05 Fri, 22 Jul 2022.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran - Editor
Motor Authority
Round 12 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship takes us this weekend to Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, France, the current home of the French Grand Prix. The first sector the fastest and providing the best overtaking opportunities, especially under braking into Turns 1 and 3. The second section is all about the power unit, featuring the Mistral straight which is broken up by a chicane to reduce the entry speed into Signes, one of the fastest corners on the calendar.
Aerodynamics take on a greater importance in the third and final sector, with a variety of medium speed corners between Turns 11 and 15. There are two DRS zones: one on the main straight, the other on the first part of the Mistral straight. Going off the track is definitely to be avoided: the distinct red, white, and blue tricolour markings contain a high-friction material designed to slow cars down quickly, with high risk to flat spot the tires. Pirelli has nominated its White hard as the C2, Yellow medium as the C3, and Red soft as the C4.
The race weekend is expected to be the hottest of the season so far, with temperatures heading for 104 degrees, which will make life difficult for the drivers and teams. It could also lead to some thermal degradation of the tires, which teams will need to take notice of.
‘104 Degrees F Weekend’;
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...d-prix-preview
Red Bull hoping for overnight gains after tricky French GP practice
23 July 2022
Ben Issatt
Both Red Bull drivers are hoping for overnight gains after an underwhelming Friday at the French Grand Prix. "I think FP2 was a little bit more difficult for us," Verstappen admitted afterwards. "We just didn't really get the balance as we hoped for.”
"We were trying a few things with the cars. So we'll have a look at it all for tomorrow and try to be closer to where we were today.” Across the garage, Sergio Perez endured a miserable Friday as a spin compromised his FP1 session and then he was only P10 in FP2, with the least laps of any driver.
“Obviously I’m not very comfortable at the moment with the car," he said. "It’s been a very short stint on that soft tyre, but it’s what it is and hopefully tomorrow we are able to put it all together and be in the fight. There’s some good work and understanding to be done over tonight, and we will try to pick up the best pieces for tomorrow’s qualifying and race.”
‘Red Bull Overnight Gains Evaluation’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ch-gp-practice
Sainz fears French GP recovery will be 'trickier than expected' after grid penalties
23 July 2022
Ben Issatt
The Spaniard was the fastest man in Friday Practice at Paul Ricard but already has a 10-place grid penalty for a new Control Electronics power unit component.
A full engine change is also anticipated on Saturday, which will drop Sainz to the back of the grid for the start on Sunday.
“Well, it was definitely a positive Friday,” Sainz told the media. “I didn’t do many laps on the short run on the low fuel, but I realised that I was super competitive.”
‘Fast Confidence’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...grid-penalties
Gasly targets top six, even pole after positive French GP practice
23 July 2022
Ben Issatt.
The Rouen native finished P5 and P7 respectively in both practice sessions at Paul Ricard as a significant AlphaTauri upgrade showed early promise.
And whether it was the heat or optimism driving his thoughts, Gasly was perhaps over-ambitious with his goals for Saturday.
“Hopefully we can fight for pole position, we’ll see about that,” said the 26-year-old. “I mean, if we can fight with these two guys on my right [Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton], I’ll be happy. That’s the target."
‘Targeting Top Six, Even Pole’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ch-gp-practice
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French GP: Verstappen jumps clear of Ferrari in Practice 3.
After the Scuderia led both sessions on Friday, the pendulum swung towards the reigning world champion who was quickest on both the medium and soft tyres, posting a best time 1m32.272s on the latter compound.
23 July 2022
Ben Issatt
Max Verstappen set the benchmark for Ferrari to chase in final practice at the French Grand Prix.
A reason for Ferrari's loss of single-lap pace could be a focus on tyre management in the race. This as the Italian team opted to save two new sets of mediums for Sunday compared to Red Bull with two new sets of hards.
At Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton was fourth running a high downforce setup on his W13, albeit just a tenth quicker than George Russell in P6 using a lower downforce rear wing for better top speed. Sergio Perez's difficult weekend continues, finishing a second off Verstappen's pace in fifth in the second Red Bull.
‘Max Jumping Clear’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...-in-practice-3
(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 French Grand Prix
Le Castellet, France
23rd July 2022
by Emer Hedderman
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:32.272
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.354
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.637
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.983
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.021
6. George Russell Mercedes +1.104
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.233
8. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.286
9. Lando Norris McLaren +1.397
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.479
French Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race from Paul Ricard;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-79594
FP3 Highlights: 2022 French Grand Prix
23 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
Watch highlights from final practice at Circuit Paul Ricard ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix.
‘FP3 Highlight’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...301260047.html
Everything that happened in final French GP practice
23/07/2022, 13:13
By Josh Suttill
The Race
Max Verstappen returned Red Bull to the top of the timesheets at the French Grand Prix leading the Ferrari duo in the final practice session ahead of qualifying. Key moments:
> Verstappen back on top
> Leclerc six tenths off in P3
> Mercedes still a second off
Verstappen led much of the session on the medium tyres and when he bolted on the soft tyres he was able to displace Sainz at the top of the order, topping a session for the first time this weekend after a Ferrari-dominated Friday.
Verstappen’s 1m32.272s is the fastest time of the weekend so far and was 0.354s quicker than Sainz, who – along with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen – will start the French GP from the back of the grid with engine penalties.
‘FP3; Key Moments’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/every...h-gp-practice/
Pirelli's Mario Isola predicts 'medium and hard' tyre strategy in French GP
23 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
Pirelli's motorsport manager Mario Isola predicts that the teams will use a "medium and hard" tyre strategy in Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.
‘Tyre Strategy Predictions’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...178040240.html
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Ferrari teamwork sees Leclerc to pole ahead of Verstappen.
A tow from Carlos Sainz helped see Charles Leclerc to pole in France ahead of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
23rd July 2022
by Emer Hedderman
Q3: The Mexican was the first to set a time then, a 1:31.640, though with a tow from Sainz, who ducked into the pits instead of completing his lap, Leclerc went to the top with a 1:31.209 a benchmark which just held out from Verstappen by 0.008 when the reigning champion set his lap a few seconds later.
As the cars headed out for the final runs Sainz was once again ahead of Leclerc ready to give his teammate another slipstream advantage. Perez was first on track while Norris would be the last to take the chequered flag. Magnussen remained in the garage for the whole of Q3.
The tow saw Leclerc improve to a 1:30.872 and while Verstappen did better his previous time, he couldn’t compare to the combined Ferrari effort, 0.304 seconds slower, and so will start P2 just ahead of Perez.
‘Ferrari Towing’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/ferrari-te...rstappen-79603
Qualifying Results – 2022 French Grand Prix
Le Castellet, France
23rd July 2022
by Emer Hedderman
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:30.872
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.304
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.463
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.893
5. Lando Norris McLaren +1.160
6. George Russell Mercedes +1.259
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.680
8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.908
9. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari NC
10. Kevin Magnussen Haas NC
French Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Circuit Paul Ricard;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-79597
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from a dramatic qualifying session at the French Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc received a helping hand from his team mate Carlos Sainz on his way to setting a sensational final lap to seal pole position for the 2022 French Grand Prix.
23 July 2022
Sergio Perez rounded out the top three, finishing 0.463s behind Leclerc, and the Mexican will be joined by Lewis Hamilton on the second row, with the Mercedes driver qualifying in P4.
Lando Norris produced a brilliant final lap to qualify in fifth and splits the Mercedes, with George Russell in sixth. Fernando Alonso, in the Alpine, qualified in seventh, at his team’s home race, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in eighth. With Sainz and Kevin Magnussen set to start at the back of the grid, Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon will start in P9 and P10, respectively.
‘Dramatic Qualifying Session’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cqPBvgrW3.html
Verstappen: We were lacking a bit but we have a decent race car
23 July, 2022
Paul Velasco
While lamenting a lack of pace in his Red Bull during French Grand Prix qualifying, Formula 1 World Champion and championship leader Max Verstappen will start from second on the grid and is confident he has a solid race car at his disposal.
Verstappen probably lost pole today at the Austrian Grand Prix last week! Last Sunday, Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari went up in smoke, meaning a new PU and bits for the Spaniard and a grid penalty that sees him starting no matter what he did in qualifying at Paul Ricard on Saturday.
This gave Ferrari a real wingman during qualy today in France to provide a useful tow for Charles Leclerc to scorch to the top of the timing screens; Verstappen and Red Bull had no answer, but they will be thinking: points are scored on Sunday. Verstappen said as much when he summed up his afternoon: “Overall, we were lacking a bit in qualifying, just general grip. It was a bit trickier than I would have hoped but overall we still have a decent race car.”
‘Solid Red Bull Car’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/07...cent-race-car/
Perez pleased to take P3 grid spot after ‘worst weekend’ as Verstappen assesses ‘tricky’ French qualifying
23 July 2022
Formula 1.
Perez might have been P3 and a tenth and a half off his team mate – but the Mexican was happy with his performance, having confessed to have been “nowhere” at points on what he termed his “worst weekend” in F1 up until qualifying.
“It’s been a good recovery,” said Perez. “I’ve been nowhere the whole weekend to be honest. I’ve been struggling a lot; I think probably it’s been my worst weekend up to qualifying and finally we managed to recover well in quali.
“I managed to improve a few tenths on my final lap. I think the whole weekend has been very difficult for me; I’ve been struggling a lot with the balance throughout the weekend so I was certainly making good progress through qualifying. I think my Q3 lap, there was a bit in it still, but not much more, so pretty pleased to be P3. Hopefully our race pace will be stronger for tomorrow and we can be in the fight for the victory.”
‘Nowhere to P3’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...9c7w767MW.html
Hamilton: ‘I hoped we’d be three-tenths off them and it’s a second’
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 23rd July 2022, 17:1623rd July 2022, 18:51
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes are much further away from the pace of their main rivals than he expected at the French Grand Prix.
“I came here this weekend hoping that we’re going to be within three-tenths off them and we’re a second [off],” he said in response to a question from RaceFans after qualifying today.
Mercedes thought the combination of quick corners, a smooth track surface and high temperatures at Paul Ricard would play into their hands. Hamilton admitted he was hoping this weekend would be a springboard to a more competitive showing at the Hungaroring next week.
“With the three-tenths, then I was hoping that the next race we can close that couple of tenths and we’d be in the fight in Budapest. But if it’s anything like this, then we it’s going to be a while. But it’s possible.”
‘W13 a second, not 3/10th off them’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/23/...-its-a-second/
'A very good day' for Lando Norris with P5 French GP qualifying performance
23 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
Mclaren's Lando Norris is "expecting a good race" at the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard where he will start in P5.
‘Very Good Day’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...546528801.html
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Sainz can’t help Leclerc on race day but have Ferrari given him a tyre advantage?
Before Ferrari had arrived in France for this weekend’s race at Paul Ricard, the team had a clear plan for how they were going to beat Red Bull and Max Verstappen in qualifying on Saturday.
2022 French Grand Prix pre-race analysis
Posted on 24th July 2022, 0:1024th July 2022, 0:12
Written by Will Wood
With Carlos Sainz Jnr taking a fourth power unit, condemning him to the back of the grid for Sunday whatever happened, the strategy was simple: Get Sainz into Q3, then have him give Charles Leclerc a slipstream on both his flying laps to boost him ahead of Red Bull. After executing the tactic with all the precision of a Patrouille de France aerobatic manoeuvre, Ferrari’s reward was pole position for Leclerc. Just as planned.
But if Leclerc is going to prevail on Sunday, Ferrari may need be even more sharp with their strategy. Especially this final French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard could be the most challenging for teams since the venue returned to the calendar back in 2018.
Having been fastest on Friday and then again at the end of Saturday, one might assume Leclerc would be feeling confident heading into the race knowing how much stronger than Verstappen he had been in the last grand prix. However, with two Red Bulls directly behind him on the grid and no team mate nearby, Leclerc knows he’s got his work cut out.
‘Ferrari’s Clear Plan’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/24/...yre-advantage/
Sainz confident solo Leclerc can still beat Red Bulls in French GP
24/07/2022, 02:35
The Age
Carlos Sainz backed Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to win the French Grand Prix from pole position despite having both Red Bull drivers right behind him on the starting grid.
The Spaniard, who played a big part in helping Leclerc to pole by giving him a slipstream “tow” down the straight, can be of no help during the race as he starts from the back due to engine penalties.
“He will have to fight on his own tomorrow against [championship leader] Max [Verstappen] but I believe he can do it,” Sainz told Sky Sports television. I think this car in every race we go to is very quick. It’s all about nailing the start and nailing the strategy, which I’m sure the team will do well.”
‘Solo Leclerc Can Win’;
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/moto...24-p5b42i.html
STRATEGY GUIDE: What are the possible race strategies for the 2022 French Grand Prix?
23 July 2022
Special contributor Chris Medland
The final double-header before the mid-season break kicks off with what is expected to be a hot race at Paul Ricard, so let’s take a look at the different strategic options available to the teams in France…
What’s the quickest strategy?
How about a different option for the top 10?
What are the options for the bottom half of the field?
Wait, but what’s the weather doing?
‘Strategy Review’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...L8tpNGglH.html
Verstappen: Red Bull's top-speed advantage will help in French GP Ferrari battle
Max Verstappen has explained how Red Bull’s strong top speed may help it beat Ferrari in Formula 1’s French Grand Prix, as pole-winner Charles Leclerc will lose Ferrari’s corner-speed advantage.
Jul 23, 2022, 6:31 PM
By: Alex Kalinauckas
Verstappen topped FP3 but wound up qualifying behind his title rival, who was boosted by Ferrari deploying tow tactics considering Carlos Sainz's upcoming engine-change penalty. Red Bull has been running a lower-drag wing arrangement at Paul Ricard, which resulted in Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez heading every top speed measuring point in qualifying as it is allied to the team's rebadged Honda engine's potent power output.
At the Paul Ricard speed trap just before the Mistral chicane, Perez had a 3.8mph advantage over Leclerc in qualifying when all engine modes are at their optimum and fuel is at its lowest, while Verstappen was quicker by 3.7mph. The low-drag approach means it is harder for drivers to build the critical tyre temperature required to nail the technical opening sector at the French track, but it will come into its own in the race for Red Bull as the higher-downforce-running Ferrari will not be able to use DRS to shed drag unless its cars are running close behind others.
When asked if he expects Red Bull's wing choice to help in Sunday's race by Motorsport.com, Verstappen replied: "I hope so. We seem again very quick on the straight, which is a nice bonus. But I think overall we need to look a bit into our high-speed performance. Overall, whatever wing we've put on the car we've always been struggling a bit in the high-speed compared to Ferrari.
‘Red Bull’s strong top speed advantage’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/v...ttle/10342385/
Mercedes’ lack of performance at Paul Ricard “a slap in the face” – Wolff
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 23rd July 2022, 19:3723rd July 2022, 19:41
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff didn’t think it was possible they would end qualifying for the French Grand Prix so far behind Ferrari and Red Bull. The team arrived at the Paul Ricard expecting its smooth surface and quick corners would suit them. But despite also bringing upgrades to their W13 the team has lagged off the pace since the weekend began.
“If you would have told me that we are ending up [there] I would have said that’s not possible,” Wolff admitted afterwards. “So that’s a bit of a slap in the face. We were slowly but surely working our way back to the front-runners and there were good signs in Silverstone,” Wolff told media including RaceFans today.”
“Then we went to Austria, a track where we are normally not competitive at all and we could clearly see the signs why we were not competitive but we were close. It’s a one-minute circuit and we were three tenths off so that was acceptable. Then we brought quite a nice update package to Paul Ricard, the track is smooth, off we go, let’s hunt them down. And boom, no performance. Like, no performance and we can’t figure it out, what went wrong.”
‘No Performance! Can’t Figure It Out! What Went Wrong? Slap In the Face!’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/23/...he-face-wolff/
Wolff protecting Hamilton from "complete nonsense" criticism
Sunday 24 July 2022 04:00
Sam Hall
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed a need to "protect" Lewis Hamilton of late due to the seven-time F1 champion facing "complete nonsense" criticism. Hamilton struggled to get to grips with the latest generation of F1 machinery earlier this season as the Mercedes W13 was subject to the porpoising phenomenon.
Reflecting on the criticism directed at Hamilton, Wolff has explained to Square Mile how he has acted as a shield. I need to protect him because people have started to hit out at him, which is not right," said Wolff. "It's complete nonsense: he's the greatest driver of all time. The car is just sub-par.”
After losing out to Max Verstappen, Wolff now believes it is his responsibility to provide Hamilton with the machinery to again battle at the front. "I think Hamilton should have had an eighth world title last year, everybody knows that," added Wolff. "But now we need to make a car that puts him in the position of going for that eighth title and that is fundamentally my responsibility. But that's good. I'm in control of that situation."
‘Toto Wolff: "Complete Nonsense" Criticism Protection’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87...ton-criticism/
Leclerc and Verstappen ‘in their own league’; Mercedes ‘just not good enough’ despite hype: quali talking points
July 24th, 2022 7:41 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Charles Leclerc has secured his seventh pole position of the season at the French Grand Prix, tying title rival Max Verstappen on 16 career pole positions. It’s an impressive statistic for the Monegasque, who continues to demonstrate he’s ready to take on this championship battle if he can get a contending car beneath him.
A less happy statistic he’d do well not to dwell on is that of his six prior poles, he’s converted only two of them to victory. Max Verstappen has turned three of them into victories of his own. It’s the sixth time Leclerc and Verstappen will start on the front row together this season, and the Dutchman will fancy his chances at extending his intercept victories to four.
But how this race will be won is anyone’s guess. Not only is strategy unclear in the warm climes of southern France, but Ferrari and Red Bull Racing have diverged significantly in set-up and approach. The winning team will have to have throw everything at this race to emerge victorious, and Ferrari certainly demonstrated its willingness to do so in qualifying.
‘Victorious team will have to have throw everything at this race’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...835e9e17407c52
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Charles Leclerc: 'Mistakes like this' mean 'I deserve not to win the championship'.
Charles Leclerc says "if I keep doing mistakes like this then I deserve not to win the championship," as the Ferrari driver expresses his frustration with crashing out from the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.
24 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
‘Mistakes…’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...595198638.html
'That Leclerc scream will haunt me in my sleep' - Fans react to another Ferrari DNF
Sunday 24 July 2022 15:13
Ronan Murphy
The scream was heard around the world. The sound of Charles Leclerc's fading world championship hopes as he crashed out of the French Grand Prix will live in the memory of Ferrari fans forever.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
The scream of anguish from Leclerc! ����
All of us are Charles Leclerc with that scream. #F1
leclerc’s scream�� i literally JUMPED
That NOOOO scream from leclerc WILL haunt Ferrari fans
‘Haunting Ferrari Cry!’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87...r-ferrari-dnf/
Leclerc: I don’t deserve to win F1 title with these mistakes
24/07/2022, 16:14
Motorsport Week
by Fergal Walsh
Charles Leclerc acknowledges that he doesn’t deserve to win the 2022 Formula 1 Drivers’ title if he continues to make on-track mistakes. When asked after his retirement what went wrong, Leclerc answered: “I lost the rear. That’s it. I don’t know [if something was wrong], technically we need to check. I don’t think there is, I think it’s just a mistake. I tried to take too much [speed] around the outside where it was probably dirty.”
Leclerc entered the race weekend with a 38 point deficit to Verstappen, who is hunting back-to-back World Championship success. However, that gap has now grown to 63 points after the Dutchman took another race victory at the Le Castellet.
“It’s my fault and if I keep doing mistakes like this then I deserve to not win the championship,” he said. “The level is high this year, I’m performing at a high level but if I’m doing those mistakes then it’s pointless to be at a high level.”
‘’Don’t Deserve to Win…’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...hese-mistakes/
'I hope he's okay' - Verstappen worried for Leclerc after crash ends Ferrari driver's hopes
UPDATED 24/07/2022 AT 16:15 GMT+1
BY ALEXANDER NETHERTON
Max Verstappen showed sympathy for Charles Leclerc after his rival crashed out at the French Grand Prix on Sunday. Speaking to Sky Sports, Verstappen explained why he was initially driving a little conservatively.
"We had really good pace from the start,” he began. “I was putting pressure on Charles. Following around here, with this heat, the tyres are overheating a lot so I could never really go for a move - only once. We just tried to stay calm, stay close... we pitted a bit earlier and from there onwards you never know how the race is going to go. The car was quick today.”
"Of course, unlucky for Charles and I hope he's okay. From there onwards, I just did my race and looked after the tyres.”
‘Max: 'I HOPE HE'S OKAY' ‘;
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-...99/story.shtml
Ferrari strategy branded "comical" after Carlos Sainz call and Charles Leclerc crash.
Charles Leclerc's crash and Carlos Sainz's bizarre end to the French Grand Prix made for another frustrating afternoon for Ferrari, who faced serious questions from fans on social media
16:39, 24 JUL 2022
BY Nick Murphy
Sports Reporter
Ferrari fans have had enough of the team's bizarre strategy decisions after a hugely disappointing French Grand Prix. The Prancing Horse had looked set for a considerable haul of points going into the afternoon after Charles Leclerc qualified on pole at Paul Ricard. But the Monegasque driver suffered a huge blow to his title ambitions when he crashed out of the race on lap 18.
Although Leclerc admitted that it was his mistake that led to the crash - not that of his team - it summed up Ferrari's problems where reliability is concerned this season. And while the Scuderia were not to blame for Leclerc's miserable afternoon, they had questions to answer regarding Carlos Sainz.
Sainz started the race from 19th but worked his way up to 3rd and within five seconds of Lewis Hamilton in second with the aid of a safety car following his team-mate's crash. But all that good work was undone when Ferrari chose to bring him in to change his tyres and serve a five-second time penalty with six laps remaining - a decision they informed Sainz about while he was attempting to overtake Sergio Perez.
‘Comical Strategy’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...ategy-27563526
Nico Rosberg calls for Ferrari boss to make 'serious' personnel changes after French GP
NICO ROSBERG believes changes need to be made at Ferrari.
16:23, Sun, Jul 24, 2022
By Jack McEachen
Nico Rosberg has called for "serious changes" to be made at Ferrari after Charles Leclerc once again suffered a DNF while leading a race. The Ferrari driver screamed in anger down his team radio after going into the barriers at Turn 11, before Max Verstappen went on to win the French Grand Prix.
"I really think it’s premature of him to take the blame," Rosberg told Sky Sports F1 after Leclerc admitted he was at fault for the crash. "He needs to go back now, because it’s really very unusual for that to happen in the way it did, because you’re not even pushing to the maximum there, you’re saving tyres.”
"For the rear to go like that, one thing could be at that point, that’s exactly the point when the wind comes from the rear, and if you get an unlucky gust or something, that can suddenly take 20 per cent of your downforce away right in that moment.”
‘Serious Ferrari Changes Needed’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Mattia-Binotto
'I'm losing too many points' says Leclerc as he takes blame for 'unacceptable' mistake that cost him lead in France
24 July 2022
Formula 1.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc cut a demoralised figure after his French Grand Prix spin, which saw him crash out of the lead at Circuit Paul Ricard on Sunday. Leclerc had taken pole position and led until his Lap 18 crash at Turn 11, a snap of oversteer sending him hurtling into the barriers. Though he emerged unhurt, he screamed out in frustration over the radio. And after the race he admitted it was his own error that had cost him.
“I think it’s just a mistake. Tried to take too much around the outside, put a wheel probably somewhere dirty, but it’s my fault and if I keep doing mistakes like this then I deserve not to win the championship,” he said.
“I’m losing too many points, I think seven in Imola, 25 here because honestly we were the strongest car on track today,” he added to Sky Sports F1. “So yes, if we lose the championship by 32 points at the end of the season, I will know from where they are coming from. And it’s unacceptable, I just need to get on top of those things.”
‘Too Many Points Lost’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...vHhEQTCAD.html
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Max Verstappen wins French GP to extend his F1 world title lead by 63 points from Charles Leclerc after he crashed out of race on Lap 18 - as Lewis Hamilton finishes second and George Russell third.
• Max Verstappen took his 27th race win with victory at the French Grand Prix.
• Having started in second Verstappen produced a flawless race to take the win.
• Lewis Hamilton took an impressive second place in his 300th career race start.
• Charles Leclerc crashed out when leading the race for the third time this year.
• Leclerc later took responsibility for the incident that cost him the race in turn 11.
• Carlos Sainz was in third place when he was told to pit to serve his time penalty.
Published: 13:00, 24 July 2022
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Max Verstappen won the French Grand Prix after his championship rival Charles Leclerc inexplicably crashed out while leading. The accident on lap 18 of 53 turned the outcome on a scorching afternoon at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France. Verstappen assumed the lead and duly blasted to his seventh win of the 12-race-old season, with Mercedes second and third through Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
‘Max Win, Max 63 Point Lead’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/li...e-Resullt.html
Race Results – 2022 French Grand Prix
Le Castellet, France
24th July 2022
by Emer Hedderman
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 53 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +10.587
3. George Russell Mercedes +16.495
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +17.310
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +28.872
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +42.879
7. Lando Norris McLaren +52.026
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +56.959
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +60.372
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +62.549
French Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race around Circuit Paul Ricard;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-79607
Verstappen wins as Leclerc crashes out from the lead
Le Castellet, France
24th July 2022
by Emer Hedderman
French Grand Prix – Max Verstappen had a very easy win after Charles Leclerc crashed put of the lead less than twenty laps into the race.
It was a good start for Leclerc, who held his lead from Verstappen, while Hamilton got the better of Sergio Perez to snatch the final podium spot from the Red Bull driver. There was an opening lap incident between Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon which ended with the AlphaTauri driver spinning and falling to the back of the grid after being hit by the Frenchman. Ocon was handed a 5 second time penalty for the collision.
With three laps to go Sainz had made it to P5 but was over 20 seconds behind Russell so, despite putting in the fastest laps of the day, there wouldn’t be enough laps for the Ferrari to close up before the race ended. The Virtual Safety Car came out for a couple of minutes when Zhou pulled his Alfa Romeo off track and parked by a barrier and as it ended, Russell caught Perez off guard to slip past and take P3 for what would be Mercedes’ first double podium of the year.
‘Max Easy Win’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...the-lead-79608
Drinks failure caused Hamilton to lose “around 3kg” in hot French Grand Prix
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 24th July 2022, 16:24
Written by Hazel Southwell
Lewis Hamilton‘s drinks bottle system failed during a French Grand Prix that was among one of the hottest races of the season. “It was a tough race because my drinks bottle didn’t work,” Hamilton explained. “What a great result, considering we’ve been so far off these guys all weekend.”
“Reliability is one thing that my team’s been amazing at so huge congratulations to the teams back at the two factories, the team here who without them we couldn’t get this podium and George did an amazing job today as well.”
Hamilton, who looked visibly exhausted and briefly laid down on the floor of the cooldown room before the podium celebrations, said that he had likely lost significant levels of fluid due to the heat inside the car. “I didn’t see my weight just now, but I would imagine probably around three kilos [lost],” he estimated. “So, yeah, it’s enough. I’m looking forward to downing the rest of this drink.”
‘3Kg Weight Loss!’
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/24/...ch-grand-prix/
Sergio Pérez 'got screwed with the Virtual Safety Car' in French GP
24 Jul 2022
Formula 1.
Sergio Pérez reflects on a "tough battle" with Mercedes' George Russell in the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix, but thinks that he "got screwed with the Virtual Safety Car' and when he expected it to end in the closing stages at Circuit Paul Ricard.
‘Tough Battle’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...669740533.html
"Totally wrong" F1 VSC message interfered in French GP result - Perez
Red Bull's Sergio Perez says he lost third place in the Formula 1 French Grand Prix due to a "totally wrong" message regarding the ending of the virtual safety car.
Jul 24, 2022, 5:13 PM
By: Lewis Duncan
Co-author: Oleg Karpov
In the latter stages of Sunday's Paul Ricard race, Perez was embroiled in a battle with Mercedes' George Russell over the final podium place. A late virtual safety car was called when Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu broke down at Turn 6 with four laps remaining. On lap 51 of 53, the VSC was ended, but Perez was caught out by an incorrect message from the FIA, telling him racing would resume earlier than it did, which allowed Russell to take the final podium spot away from the Red Bull driver.
In the regulations over virtual safety car periods, the green flag must be shown 10-15 seconds after the initial end message is given, but in this instance, it took close to a minute. "It was very unfortunate what happened with the virtual safety car," Perez said after finishing fourth on Sunday. "I got the message it was going to end out of Turn 9, so I went for it and then it didn't end. Then I got the message saying it was going to end through Turn 12. And I was just too close to it.”
"It seems like George had different information and he was able to prepare better for it [the restart]. "I mean it's a shame the virtual safety car interfered with the result, to be honest. It shouldn't be the case, but today it was the case. It [the message of VSC ending] was totally wrong, there was something going on because it said it was going to end out of Turn 9 and it only ended out of Turn 12."
‘Perez: “Totally wrong" F1 VSC message interfered in French GP result’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...erez/10342897/
Furious Charles Leclerc reveals if jammed throttle was responsible for French GP crash
Charles Leclerc crashed out of the French Grand Prix while leading.
24 July 2022
by James Clifford
Charles Leclerc will have to delve deeper into the data to figure out if an issue with his Ferrari might have put him out of the French Grand Prix, but he pins the blame firmly on himself for his crash.
‘Dig Deeper’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/furious-c...ench-gp-crash/
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Ferrari boss makes 'good performance' claim despite disastrous French Grand Prix.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto defended his team’s performance at the French Grand Prix, despite a woeful day for the Italian squad.
18:47, 24 JUL 2022
BY Mark Whiley
Ferrari endured a dismal day at the French Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc crashing out of the lead and Carlos Sainz having to settle for fifth after a late pit-stop. Charles Leclerc took pole position and weathered early pressure from Max Verstappen, only to crash out on lap 17, effectively handing the Red Bull driver a comfortable victory.
Surprisingly, Binotto insisted the team could still draw some positives from the weekend. “Yeah, it didn’t go to plan but I think we had a good performance,” he told Sky Sports F1. “[With] Tyre management, tyre degradation, we had the edge on Red Bull. After 15 laps, Charles was gaining a couple of tenths [per lap] on Max, who had to stop very early.”
On Leclerc’s crash, he said: “A little mistake. I said to Charles, ‘we make our lives a bit difficult but we will enjoy it [success] more in the future. It was a genuine driver error.” Binotto also insisted Ferrari were right to call Sainz in for his late stop. “We don’t feel it was the right choice, we are pretty sure it was the right choice,” he said. “He was short on life with wear and tyres so it would have been a risk to go to the end.”
‘Mattia Binotto: Good Ferrari Performance’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...ch-gp-27564649
Ferrari accused of 'not watching' the race and 'terrible judgement' during French GP.
Ferrari's decision to call Carlos Sainz in for a late pit-stop may have cost the Spaniard a podium finish as the team endured a disastrous French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard.
17:58, 24 JUL 2022
BY Mark Whiley
Ferrari’s strategy decisions have been called into question several time this season and former world champion Nico Rosberg says they have bungled too often now. On the decision to bring Sainz in during his battle with Perez, Rosberg told Sky Sports F1: “I was shaking my head, [thinking] ‘what on earth are they doing there?’
“First of all, he was in the middle of a huge battle out on track and his whole team wasn’t watching that anymore, they had their heads down doing calculations about pit-stop times. They were talking to him in the middle of wheel-to-wheel action. Guys, what on earth are you? Carlos was P3 and he would have been able to comfortably stay there. The tyres would have been fine until the end and he would have even had the chance to get Lewis for P2.”
“They bring him in with no chance to go beyond P5 which is where he ended up. What on earth is going on there? Honestly, I think it’s time they made some serious changes.” Rosberg added: “Terrible judgement there, terrible, I cannot explain it. Mattia [Binotto] really needs to get on top of it and make serious changes.”
‘Terrible Judgement’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...ch-gp-27564291
Ferrari defend “proper and right” decision to pit Sainz after he passed Perez
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 24th July 2022, 20:54
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is sure the team made the correct decision to pit Carlos Sainz Jnr in the closing stages of the French Grand Prix, even though he had just moved into third place.
Sainz had risen from 19th on the grid to pass Sergio Perez for third place by the 41st lap of 53. He had a five-second time penalty to serve after he was unsafely released in front of Alexander Albon’s Williams during his pit stop.
That, and concern over the life of his medium compound tyres, led Ferrari to bring him in for a second pit stop, Binotto explained. Radio messages between Sainz and Ferrari indicated some indecision over whether or not to pit. Sainz later said “I don’t understand why we boxed, we would have pulled away”. However Binotto was certain the team made the right call. “The choice we made was the proper and the right one,” he told RaceFans and other media after the race.
‘Carlos Sainz Jnr: I don’t understand why we boxed’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/24/...-passed-perez/
Binotto responds to Ferrari strategy critics
Sunday 24 July 2022 19:00
Will Gray
“It didn’t go to plan, but we had a good performance," reflected Binotto. "After 15 laps, Charles was going well and he was gaining three tenths per lap on Max who had to stop very early, and we would have certainly extended the stint. “
“So, a little mistake, it happens, just as we have reliability issues. What I said to Charles is we make our life a bit more difficult but it was a genuine driver error. Now we need to turn the page, look to Hungary. We can do a 1-2 there, why not? So we simply focus on the next result.”
‘Ferrari Strategy Critics Response’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87...rari-strategy/
No link between Leclerc’s crash and Austrian GP throttle problem – Ferrari
2022 French Grand Prix
Posted on 24th July 2022, 17:30
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Charles Leclerc’s crash while he was leading the French Grand Prix was not caused by a repeat of the throttle problem he experienced during the previous race, says team principal Mattia Binotto.
The Ferrari driver crashed out at the high-speed Beausset corner on the 18th lap of the race. The driver said “I cannot go off throttle” in a radio message broadcast on the world feed.
This prompted speculation Leclerc had encountered a similar problem to the sticking throttle he had in the closing stages of the previous race in Austria. In the cool-down room after the race, Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache told the Mercedes drivers Leclerc had crashed out due to a throttle problem. However Leclerc said he crashed out due to a driving error and did not experience a problem with his throttle.
‘No Throttle Problem’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/24/...oblem-ferrari/
Binotto reveals what he said to Leclerc after costly crash
Charles Leclerc's French Grand Prix ended in disaster when he crashed out of the lead. Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has given his take on what happened.
25/07/2022, 17:15
Author RacingNews365 Staff
What Binotto said to Leclerc after crash. "I think what I said to Charles [was that] we make our life a bit more difficult, but I think it will [get] even better. We will enjoy more in the future."
Up until that point, Binotto feels that the performance had generally been good. "I think we had a good performance, [with] tyre management," Binotto told Sky Sports F1 after the race.
"[With] tyre degradation, again, I think we had a bit of [an] edge on Red Bull too because, after 15 laps, Charles was doing well and he was gaining a couple of tenths, three tenths per lap on Max [Verstappen]. [Verstappen] had to stop very early, and we would have extended certainly the stint."
‘Mattia Binotto: We will enjoy more in the future’;
https://racingnews365.com/binotto-re...r-costly-crash
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FIA launches defence after Perez VSC criticism.
F1’s governing body has defended itself against criticism that confusion over its virtual safety car messaging system cost Sergio Perez a podium finish in the French Grand Prix.
Sunday 24 July 2022 19:40
Will Gray
F1’s governing body has defended itself against criticism that confusion over its virtual safety car messaging system cost Sergio Perez a podium finish in the French Grand Prix. Perez claimed he lost third place to George Russell when a hold-station VSC period was ended late in the race, stating he had prepared for a re-start that never came and was on the back foot when racing eventually resumed.
An original message had stated the VSC period would be ending at turns five-six but that failed to materialise and it was not cleared until much later in the lap at turn 13-14. Perez had prepared for the former and was left a sitting duck as Mercedes' Russell, whom the Red Bull driver claimed had better knowledge of the proceedings, accelerated at the right moment and made the pass.
The FIA later sent out a clarification stating: “A second VSC-ending message was sent due to a hardware issue, which led to an automated switch-to-backup-systems that worked exactly as they should in that scenario. “The same information is supplied to all teams concurrently. The VSC ending countdown time to the green light being displayed on the trackside panels is always random.”
‘FIA: The green light being displayed on the trackside panels is always random’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87...vsc-criticism/
Perez details why he was 'caught out' in scrap with Russell
25/07/2022, 21:00
Author RacingNews365 Staff
Perez admits that the timing of the Virtual Safety Car period ending was what caught him out. "It was a difficult afternoon," Perez told Sky Sports F1.
"First of all, we should have another podium. I don't know what was going on with the Virtual Safety Car. I just got caught up with it, because it was ending already from the exit of [Turn] 8, and it ended up at the end of [Turn] 15.
"So there was something going on there and I got caught up with it." The Mexican has identified this as enabling Russell to catch him and overtake.
‘Caught Out On VSC Timing’;
https://racingnews365.com/perez-expl...p-with-russell
Marko sends heavy criticism Perez's way: He was sleeping!
25/07/2022, 19:30
Author Michael Butterworth
Sergio Perez was lying third in the closing stages of the French Grand Prix, only to see himself overtaken by George Russell as a Virtual Safety Car period was ending. This prompted Helmut Marko to accuse the Mexican of not being alert enough at the restart.
Helmut Marko has criticised Sergio Perez for allowing George Russell to pass him in Sunday's French Grand Prix as a Virtual Safety Car period came to an end. As the VSC drew to a close, Russell appeared to hang back from the rear of Perez, before then getting on the throttle earlier than the Mexican and passing him on the twisting straight ahead of Turn 14.
Though Perez came back at Russell, the Briton held on to third place until the flag, prompting Marko to issue his displeasure at Perez's losing the position. "It is very unfortunate that Checo was asleep at the restart," Marko told ServusTV. A certain third place was lost there."
‘Helmut Marko: Asleep At The Restart’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-send...e-was-sleeping
Red Bull chief accuses Sergio Perez of "sleeping" in damning French Grand Prix comments
23:08, 24 JUL 2022
BY Liam Llewellyn
Sports Trends Writer
Helmut Marko expressed his disappointment in Red Bull's Sergio Perez who lost out on a podium place to Mercedes star George Russell at today's French Grand Prix
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko blasted Sergio Perez for his performance during the French GP. The Mexican seemed off the pace throughout the weekend as teammate Max Verstappen cruised to victory after Charles Leclerc crashed out.
‘Sleeping Accusation!’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...-bull-27565859
Russell reveals how he caught Perez napping during VSC
Date published: July 24 2022
Sam Cooper
Speaking following his P3 finish, Russell said he knew he had “one opportunity” to pull off the overtake when the VSC was ending. “I had to sort of preempt it [slowing before accelerating quickly] and it can go both ways,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “I knew I had one opportunity when the VSC was ending and if you can time it right and you carry the momentum, you can just carry that through after the VSC.
“I think he may have been a little bit too quick and had to brake. So he’s braking, I’m accelerating and that gave me an opportunity.”
Perez also spoke to Sky Sports F1 and said it was not so much a case of him being caught napping, but rather he was unsure just exactly when the VSC would end.
‘Caught Perez Napping’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ez-vsc-france/
Perez left feeling 'screwed' by Virtual Safety Car ending as Russell revels in 'satisfying' overtake at French GP
24 July 2022
Formula 1.
George Russell and Sergio Perez put on quite the show in the late stages of the Sunday's race at Circuit Paul Ricard, as they became embroiled in an intense battle for the final spot on the podium. But after the race, both drivers gave opposing views of their Turn 8 incident, as Russell revealed his delight at another podium finish.
The flashpoint between Perez and Russell erupted on Lap 41 when Russell dived down the inside of the Red Bull at Turn 8, forcing Perez wide in the hunt for P3. The fourth-place finisher driver defended his actions and said anything else would have "ruined" both drivers' races.
"Yes, it was a good battle, apart from Turn 8,” said Perez. “If I do the corner, we will just have ruined our races, but other than that, it was a good tough battle, good race from George in that regard." Perez was less happy with the timing of the Lap 50 Virtual Safety Car brought on by Zhou Guanyu's DNF, after which Russell passed him for the final podium place (main video).
‘Sergio Perez left feeling 'screwed' by Virtual Safety Car ending’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...W2wRf6PMw.html
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‘What on earth are they doing?’: Shocking radio calls expose double Ferrari disaster.
Ferrari suffered a nightmare in France – and their catastrophe was summed up in two shocking radio conversations.
July 25th, 2022 10:28 am
Zac Rayson from Fox Sports
Charles Leclerc suffered what might be the fatal blow to his world title ambitions when he crashed out while comfortably leading the race. After realising he was unable to reverse out of the barriers, the enormity of the disaster hit home for the Monegasque driver, who delivered a gut-wrenching scream into his radio: “No!” The raw emotion in his voice stunned F1 fans and pundits. Sky Sports commentator Paul di Resta said: “That scream kind of noise is going to haunt a lot of people for a long time, especially at this point of the championship race.”
Sainz had been handed a five-second time penalty due to an unsafe release from his first pit stop, and his medium tyres were becoming increasingly worn. The Spaniard attempted to overtake Sergio Perez of Red Bull to move into third place, but initially failed to make the move. He asked to pit for fresh tyres, but was initially told to keep racing. Then, while in the middle of a brutally tricky overtake on Perez, his race engineers suddenly spoke up again: “Box Carlos, box. Pit confirm.”
“Not now! Not now! Not now” was Sainz’s frustrated reply. Ferrari’s bizarre decision to talk to their driver in the middle of a high-intensity on-track battle was blasted by commentators. Former world champion Nico Rosberg told Sky Sports: “I was shaking my head. What on earth are they doing there?”
‘Double Ferrari Disaster Radio Calls’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...0907684246ee91
Rosberg tells Leclerc not to take blame: 'I still can’t believe it would be a driver mistake'
UK17:30 Sun, 24 Jul 2022.
UPDATED 24/07/2022 AT 18:43 GMT+1
BY ALEXANDER NETHERTON
Former Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg warned Charles Leclerc that he was too hasty in taking the blame for his crash at the French Grand Prix on Sunday. Rosberg observed that the kind of spin before he hit the barriers suggested that a technical problem might have actually been to blame for the problem.
Nico Rosberg does not believe Charles Leclerc should so quickly take the blame for his French Grand Prix clash. Former world champion Rosberg believes that there could be a technical issue at the heart of the problem. Given the team’s fire with Carlos Sainz’s car, it would be far from the first time that reliability issues have plagued Ferrari this season.
"I really think it’s premature of him to take the blame. He needs to go back now because it’s really very unusual for that to happen in the way it did because you’re not even pushing to the maximum there, you’re saving tyres,” he began.
‘Nico Rosberg: 'I still can’t believe it would be a driver mistake’;
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-...60/story.shtml
It felt like NASCAR! Alex Albon reflects on near-miss with Carlos Sainz in French GP pitlane
Published: 24 Jul 2022, 18:51
By George Dagless
Alex Albon joked that the chaotic pitlane scenes sparked by the Safety Car called following Charles Leclerc’s crash at the French GP reminded him of NASCAR. Leclerc was pushing hard to maintain the lead after seeing Max Verstappen pit before him but he overcooked it and slid into the barriers at turn 11 here at Paul Ricard.
Indeed, the car needed to be removed and that prompted a Safety Car, leaving most of the field to dive into the pitlane for fresh tyres, heightening the chance of near misses between cars as they entered and exited their pitboxes. Speaking after the race, Albon said that the tight nature of the pitlane here at Paul Ricard made that situation more likely, and also joked that it felt like NASCAR with such little room for manoeuvre.
Asked by Give Me Sport to recall the incident, he said: “I felt it was a bit marginal. It was just one of those things, weirdly for such a long pitlane it’s actually a very tight pitlane and it makes sense now why [the limit] is 60kmh, at the time it was chaos. It felt like NASCAR!”
‘NASCAR with Carlos Sainz near-miss in French GP pitlane’;
https://www.givemesport.com/88038349...nch-gp-pitlane
Ferrari Is Choking On Its Own Incompetence
12:14 PM EDT on Jul 24, 2022
Luis Paez-Pumar
With all due respect—the bare minimum, really—to Max Verstappen, Ferrari has been Ferrari’s toughest opponent this season. Kathryn reported as much from Silverstone earlier this month, and it remains as true as it was then after the French Grand Prix on Sunday. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Charles Leclerc was in a great position to win a race, only to end his day picking up a Did Not Finish. Or hey, here’s another one from the archives: Ferrari absolutely mangles a pitting strategy, and likely loses a position in the process. These are re-runs, and they are getting exhausting.
This is still Ferrari, so there was in fact a mechanical issue in the run-up to the retirement: after Leclerc smashed into the wall, he could have potentially reversed out and back onto the track to try to nab some points. Even one point would have been helpful, after all. Just as happened in Austria two weekends ago, though, Leclerc appeared to have a throttle pedal issue that did not allow him to reverse out of the wall, ending his race for good and prompting what will likely be the lasting sound of Ferrari’s season: a stream of heavy breaths leading into a primal rage roar of “No!” that thundered throughout the south of France.
The radio call came through while Sainz was going wheel-to-wheel on Perez, and his exasperated complaints about the strategy call only increased after the team had him pit the following lap, ending his chances at finishing anything higher than fifth. It was a strange call, or it would have been for any other team. For Ferrari, it simply feels like par for the course right now.
‘This is Ferrari!’;
https://defector.com/ferrari-is-chok...-incompetence/
Is Leclerc too error-prone to beat Verstappen? Our verdict
17:59 Sun, 24 Jul
The Race
Charles Leclerc’s French Grand Prix crash turned a steep climb into a mountain in terms of his 2022 Formula 1 title aspirations, allowing Max Verstappen to pull a mammoth 63 points clear following the first race after the season’s halfway point.
Operational and reliability shortcomings have cost him dearly this season, but even without those, is he simply not as refined a package as reigning F1 champion Verstappen, despite possessing a similar level of peak speed? Our writers give their takes.
In this car, yes
Scott Mitchell
Too early to say given Ferrari’s state
Ben Anderson
On course for a shared-blame defeat
Gary Anderson
An error intrinsic to Leclerc’s particular skills
Mark Hughes
He’s not the one out of his depth
Sam Smith
‘Verdicts’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/is-le...n-our-verdict/
