With renewed energy, the Formula 1 season heads toward the final sprint of its first segment, a set of races that will define momentum before the summer break. This weekend marks the teams’ first visit to Circuit Paul Ricard, a French Grand Prix venue where Carlos Sainz driving for Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of Alpine hope to leave behind the troubles that surfaced in Austria.
The championship has shown a subtle resurgence after the recent races at Silverstone in England and Spielberg in Austria, where Ferrari briefly reclaimed the smile from the tracks as Red Bull and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands maintained a steady lead.
At the Austrian round, the Red Bull camp enjoyed a six-win stretch. Sainz is back on track aiming to challenge the reigning champion without making history at the British Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc returns home to pursue victory against his rivals. Yet even with Ferrari pressing, Verstappen, who won the Austrian Sprint, continues to command the world championship with a strong margin, standing at 208 points to 170 for Leclerc and the rest of the field.
East must keep the pressure on the championship leader, closing the gap as much as possible to set up a strong finish in the second part of the season. The back-to-back races at Paul Ricard and the following weekend in Hungary look like turning points for the title chase.
[General standings of the Formula 1 World Championship are available for review].
The French circuit will host the first date of the two, a track where Verstappen dominated last year, proving the car’s reliability in contrast to Ferrari’s challenges, particularly around Carlos Sainz. In 2021, Verstappen led the way in qualifying and the race, while Leclerc battled tire issues and finished fifteenth in what he called the hardest race of his F1 career.
Sainz and Alonso aim to shine once more
Behind them, Sergio Perez of Red Bull remains a strong threat. After his Monaco win, Sainz trails by 57 points, having endured two retirements that stalled Ferrari’s momentum and another setback in Silverstone and Austria.
[Review the World Championship calendar for context].
With vacation approaching, the Spaniard seeks to re-enter the battle with Verstappen and Leclerc. A run of three podium finishes in a row would boost his confidence, while Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes continue to chase improvements on a track where Mercedes exited the points in 2021, despite a planned engine upgrade that could complicate the weekend grid. The team remains determined to keep fighting.
On his own side, Fernando Alonso also arrived at the home race for his team hoping to rebound after another tough weekend in Spielberg. The two-time world champion Sprint could not score points due to an electronic issue that forced him to start from the back after a power unit change, and a Sunday pit-failure prevented a late charge for a comeback.
Schedule for the Formula 1 French GP
Friday, July 22:
Free practice 1: 14:00 – 15:00
Free practice 2: 17:00 – 18:00
Saturday, July 23:
Free practice 3: 13:00 – 14:00
Classification: 16:00
Sunday, July 24:
Race: 15:00 (57 laps)