2022 French Grand Prix Prediction, Formula 1 Odds
Max Verstappen saw his lead atop the Formula 1 Drivers Standings diminished after being forced to settle for second place at the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago. However, the reigning F1 champion remains the man to beat going into this weekend’s running of the French Grand Prix, where he is perched as a +110 favourite to win on the Formula 1 odds.
Despite being outclassed by Verstappen in qualifying, Charles Leclerc managed to return to the top of the podium in Austria, ending a stretch of seven races without a victory. Leclerc now closely trails the defending champion as a +137 bet on the French Grand Prix odds. Lewis Hamilton looks to have gotten past a shaky start to the season with three straight podium finishes. Hamilton sports +800 odds of garnering his first win of the season. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez rounds out the front of the pack as a +1400 wager despite failing the finish two of his past three races.
French Grand Prix Race Time, Weather Forecast
The 2022 French Grand Prix is set to get underway at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday morning at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, Var, France. Measuring 5.842 kilometres in length, the track at Circuit Paul Ricard features a 1.8 km straightaway and two DRS zones. The track also features notable changes in elevation, with the highest point on the track sitting 33 metres above the lowest point. Sunny skies are expected throughout the weekend, with the temperature at race time expected to hover around a steamy 33 degrees Celsius.
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The French Grand Prix takes place on Sunday and could represent Mercedes’ best chance of a victory this season.
Our Tim Hauraney breaks down his top 3 in The P1 Report.#F1 #F1Picks #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/u0fclZFSfD
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Perez Dogged by Technical Woes
Verstappen ended a stretch of two straight wins by Hamilton at this event with an impressive drive to victory over his Mercedes arch-rival a year ago. Overall, Verstappen has produced steady results at the French Grand Prix, with second- and fourth-place finishes preceding last year’s victory. However, with both Ferrari and Mercedes showing better pace of late, Verstappen could use an assist from teammate Perez, who is currently enduring his toughest stretch of the season.
A top-two finish in five of six previous outings, “Checo” has been dogged by technical problems that bounced him from both the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix. Checo’s recent woes have led to wild accusations that Red Bull has taken deliberate steps to stymie the 32-year-old’s close pursuit of Verstappen in the standings.
The rumour mill has been fuelled by Perez’ own comments about being less comfortable in his car since recent upgrades were made. As a result, there may be more value in the +2000 odds of Checo being the first car to retire than in his odds to capture the checkered flag.
Can Leclerc Build on Austria Win
While Red Bull wrestle with their technical challenges, Leclerc is poised to build on his first win since claiming the checkered flag in Australia over three months ago. While he was unable to keep pace with Verstappen in qualifying, Leclerc was well up to the challenge on race day. The Ferrari driver stalked the champion for over 50 laps before overtaking Verstappen on Lap 53, on his way to his first-ever win when not starting on the pole. However, Leclerc still has work to do to bury the memory of a miserable weekend in France a year ago, when he finished qualifying in seventh place before turning in a 16th-place performance on race day.
Are Haas for Real?
Not to be overlooked is the steadily improved performance of Haas teammates Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen. Rising star Schumacher and his veteran teammate Magnussen have shown impressive chemistry this season, and it has paid dividends in the form of double points finishes in each of the past two races.
Neither driver has shown much form in past appearances at this race, although Magnussen’s sixth-place run in 2018 cannot be overlooked. However, given the impressive pace that Haas cars have shown, and Schumacher’s growing confidence, there is value in the short -303 of both drivers qualifying once again, as well as in the +400 odds of Schumacher cracking the top six.
Prediction: Red Bull double podium finish (+100); Carlos Sainz finish ahead of Charles Leclerc (+195).