After two weeks in a row of Ferrari victories, Red Bull will be looking to get its title aspirations back on track, as the Formula 1 circus heads to Circuit Paul Ricard for the French Grand Prix. Having won here in 2021, Max Verstappen will be confident heading into round 12 of victory, however the Ferrari updates in Austria seemed to have worked a treat and this should be another quality battle for Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
2022 F1 Betting Tips
Austrian Gran Prix Review
We were heavy on Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix, and it looked a good bet as he easily won the Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon to lock in Pole Position for Sunday’s race. The start was relatively clean until turn 4, when George Russell punted Sergio Perez off the track, setting Perez to the back of the field and handing Russell a penalty.
Immediately for the off, Leclerc looked quick and easily stayed close to Verstappen. By lap 12, Leclerc was all over the back of the Dutchman, passing him down the inside into turn 4 and taking the lead. Verstappen pitted two laps later, locking in a two-stop strategy and dropping him to 7th. Pitting 12 laps later, Leclerc emerged 7 seconds behind Verstappen, but was again much quicker. Within a few laps, Leclerc was again past the Dutchman into 1st where he remained for the rest of the race, apart from going behind for a brief time after his final stop.
Sainz was next, looking to pass Verstappen on lap 57, however a massive engine failure ruined his race, with the Ferrari quickly becoming engulfed in flames. The rest of the race was rather uneventful, with Mercedes an impressive 3rd and 4th with Hamilton and Russell. They are starting to look a genuine threat to the top 2 teams.
French Grand Prix Preview
Practice 1: Friday 22:00 - 23:00
Practice 2: Saturday 01:00 - 02:00
Practice 3: Saturday 21:00 - 22:00
Qualifying: Sunday 00:00 - 01:00
Race: Sunday 23:00 - 01:00
We saw at the last race in Austria, tyre wear could very much start playing a factor in races now, particularly with the extreme heat seen throughout Europe this year. Therefore, I’m leaning towards the Ferrari crew to get the job done this weekend.
It only took the sprint race and sitting behind Verstappen for a few laps for Charles Leclerc to realise in Austria that he had a great chance at victory. In the mini race to set up the final order of the grid, Verstappen won, however suffered tyre wear much earlier than expected. Leclerc finished second, and when asked what his chances were for the race, the Monegasque was surprisingly upbeat. And so it proved, with the Ferrari far better on its tyres throughout, with Leclerc able to cruise past Verstappen on three separate occasions during the race.
With the French Grand Prix track being somewhat like the Spanish and British Grand Prix layouts, I once again expect the Ferrari to be quick, whilst also managing its tyres far better than Red Bull. Look for Perez to be close to Verstappen this weekend also, with his penchant for keeping his tyres fresher than most. Carlos Sainz likely won’t be a factor, with the Spaniard likely to start at the back of the field having to take engine penalties after his spectacular blow up in Austria.
Of the other teams, Mercedes will be right there this weekend. Hamilton showed at the British Grand Prix that they have the pace to win races, and that has seemed to trigger some brilliant driving from the Brit, securing podiums in the past 3 races. I’m still not convinced they are quite there, but don’t be surprised to see a Mercedes on the top step of the podium this weekend. I also believe Alpine will be easily the 4th quickest car this weekend and will be looking to put on a show for the home fans. Points scoring finishes and top 6 finishes are both options for the Alpine drivers.
Leclerc Pole Position ($2.25) 2 Units
Alpine Both Points Finish ($1.83) 2 Units
Hamilton Podium Finish ($2.20) 2 Units
Magnussen Top 10 ($2.03) 1 Unit
Leclerc Race Winner
$3.00 (3 Units)
