The F1 field’s jaunt through Europe continues this weekend with the drivers topping off in France to duke it out at the Charles Ricard Circuit.
Will Max Verstappen further the gap between him and Charles LeClerc on the Constructors’ standings or will the Ferrari man reel in the Red Bull ace by following up on his win in Austria with a win in France?
French Grand Prix
Sunday 24 July
Paul Ricard Circuit
15:00
To Win Race Outright
Max Verstappen 11/10
Charles LeClerc 15/10
Lewis Hamilton 17/2
Sergio Perez 15/1
George Russell 16/1
Carlos Sainz 22/1
Fernando Alonso 175/1
Previous Race
It was a great weekend for Ferrari out in Australia as smart pit strategy and a solid drive from Charles LeClerc saw the Prancing Stag’s main man take race honours over title rival and sprint qualifying winner, Max Verstappen who had to settle for second place. The Drivers’ Championship rivals were joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton, who bagged his third successive third place finish.
Hamilton’s teammate, George Russel claimed fourth place after an eventful race for the ‘Brit who was handed a five second penalty due to a collision with Sergio Perez during the early salvos of the race. There were a couple of surprise packages in the rest of the ‘top 6’ with Esteban Ocon claiming fifth and the ever-improving Mick Schumacher taking sixth.
The remainder of the top ten was made up of Lando Norris (seventh), Kevin Magnussen eighth and veterans Daniel Ricciardo (ninth) and Fernado Alonso (tenth).
Track
The track Paul Ricard Circuit measures in at 5.842 kilometers, with the drivers set to do 53 laps this coming Sunday. The track offers 15 corners as well as two long straights, where drivers will be able to open up the taps.
After a long hiatus due to Magny-Cours being favoured as the French Grand Prix venue, the Paul Ricard circuit made its return in 2018. Lewis Hamilton won the 2018 and 2019 editions with the 2020 race being called off due to COVID.
Max Verstappen broke Hamilton’s stranglehold on pole position here last year with the Dutch ace crossing the line in first place ahead of Hamilton (second) and Sergio Perez (third).
In terms of the weather for this weekend, we are in for clear skies and high temperatures in excess of 30 degrees.
Value Bet
Lewis Hamilton – Podium Finish – Yes @ 12/10
This bet has paid off big time in the last couple of Grand Prix with Hamilton landing a podium berth in Austria, Britain and Canada. While it’s rather short odds here, it must be remembered that Hamilton has been a force to be reckoned with at this venue, so it’s certainly worth a crack at over even money.
To Win Race Outright
Max Verstappen -11/10
One simply cannot look past the Red Bull ace. He won last year’s French Grand Prix with a solid drive. While he’s likely to face some competition from Ferrari’s Cahrles LeClerc, I reckon Max will get the job done here.
