With fine teamwork, Charles Leclerc took pole position for the French Grand Prix on Saturday at Paul Ricard. Max Verstappen starts second in the heat wear battle on the Riviera. So far the weekend in Le Castellet has been a bit sluggish, but Sunday’s race has a lot of potential for an interesting spectacle.
Whether Ferrari really needed the slipstream remains to be seen. “Charles told me it was two to two and a half tenths,” said Verstappen after qualifying. But if they were going to do it, it had to be after the chicane. There is a clear explanation for this.
The Ferrari is tuned for relatively much downforce, while Red Bull has clearly opted for top speed again. The rear wing that the Italians introduced to Canada pretty much closed the difference in kilometers per hour that had been there all season. The only problem is: that wing is designed in such a way that there is little air resistance, especially with DRS-open.
That was not a problem in Austria, because the Red Bull Ring is actually one large DRS zone these days. But the straight after the chicane in France is not a DRS zone, because the full-throttle Signe bend is in it. It cannot be taken with the rear wing folded up.
So it’s no wonder that Ferrari decided to play the Sainz trump card right there. On those meters of asphalt, Leclerc potentially lost two tenths to Verstappen, which was now remedied with the suction of the second car.
Ferrari must have a lot of confidence in the race pace
However, Ferrari must have a lot of confidence in the race pace to justify the choice for so much downforce. It makes the car miles slower on the straights. Earlier in the season, for example in Miami, Verstappen already showed that he easily cuts Leclerc if he lacks top speed. There are two DRS zones on Paul Ricard, in which the Dutchman can easily strike if he is close enough.
It is also questionable whether it is not asking too much of the tires when they are pressed so aggressively on the sweltering French asphalt. Certainly in the opening phase, that can already provide a make-or-break moment for Leclerc. The Monegask himself saw in Austria that it works to put pressure on the leader immediately, provided you can rely on better tire management. If the rubber under Verstappen’s car holds up well, he is in a position to kill the Pirelli’s on Leclerc’s Ferrari.
One stopper from medium to hard logical choice
If that succeeds, Leclerc will immediately have a big problem. Paul Ricard may be a tire eater, but Sunday’s race is likely to be a one-stop from medium to hard. This is because the pit lane is almost as long as the average French toll road, so that as a driver you spend a relatively large amount of time on a stop. Verstappen has seen in Austria how costly it is if you are forced into the wrong strategy.
In addition, Verstappen has his teammate Sergio Pérez nearby, who can continue to drive in Leclerc’s pit stop window. Sainz starts at the back, so he can’t help his teammate.
Leclerc will compete against Verstappen and Pérez.
Leclerc will compete against Verstappen and Pérez. Photo: Getty Images
Will Verstappen and Leclerc keep dueling each other neatly?
De Limburger continues to emphasize that the Ferrari is very fast, and that its lead in the World Cup position is actually not representative of the proportions. Should it eventually be close to each other, then that position in the drivers’ championship will be relevant. A direct duel between Leclerc and Verstappen is then very likely.
It is clear to see that the two have so far not been fighting each other nearly as fiercely as Verstappen did with Lewis Hamilton last season. There were fights, but certainly this season it always happened neatly. There was no question of complaining about the on-board radio.
Both drivers undoubtedly want this to stay that way, but the second half of the season has now arrived. Verstappen now has a lead to defend, Leclerc to close a gap. Last season it was clear how far the World Cup leader wants to go to keep a competitor away. That competitor is now Leclerc, and he can’t really afford to let the Dutchman walk even further away.
It has been a while since Leclerc saw Verstappen pop up in his mirrors. Sunday will be a good indicator of how he will deal with this in the second half of the season.