Verstappen alone in the lead after Leclerc's retirement, follow the French Grand Prix in live text

Cocorico! La Formula 1 arrives on French soil this week on the Paul-Ricard circuit, in Castellet. After having completed England and Austria, the drivers had a week off before returning to one of the senior events on the motor racing calendar. The 12th round of the 2022 season will welcome the 20 drivers on the grid for the French Grand Prix.

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Once again, the duel Red Bull – Ferrari promises to liven up the race at Paul-Ricard. But the Team will start with a size disadvantage. Carlos Sainz will start from 19th place on the grid after his engine penalties. Charles Leclerc will therefore be all alone against the two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen (2nd) and Sergio Pérez (3rd). The Monegasque will have to fight against the Austrian team, especially on the straights where the RB18 has better performance. 

Even if he is 4th on the grid, it will be complicated for Lewis Hamilton to get a podium. Mercedes had hope before arriving in France, but the Englishman suffered throughout qualifying. On the line, the seven-time world champion finished Q3 with a gap of almost a second compared to the pole sitter. But above all Lewis Hamilton will have to be wary of a surprising Lando Norris who managed to insert himself between the two Mercedes in 5th position. 

Disappointment for the two Frenchmen at Castellet

In front of their audience, Esteban Ocon et Pierre Gasly did not obtain the expected results. The pilot Alpha Tauri was eliminated in Q1. However, with the developments, the Norman could have aimed higher, as evidenced by the 8th place on the grid. Yuki tsunoda. Same story with Alpine. The native of Évreux was eliminated in Q2 while Fernando Alonso reached Q3. But the penalties of Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen will allow them to each grab two ranks on the starting grid at 15 p.m. 

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