The Circuit Paul Ricard hosts the French Grand Prix on Sunday, which forms the 12th round of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Charles Leclerc will start the race from pole position, with title rival Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row.
Drivers have a free choice of tyres to start Sunday’s race on, a deviation from the rule in recent years that required all drivers inside the top 10 to start the race on the same set they used in Q2.
A major factor that may dictate strategies at Le Castellet is the hot track temperature, with the air temperature expected to be over 30 degrees Celsius.
Pirelli is expecting that most teams will utilise a two-stop strategy, however it asserts that a one-stopper isn’t out of the equation.
Many drivers are likely to start on the Medium tyre, but drivers towards the back of the field, particularly Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, may opt to use the Hard tyre for the opening stint to go longer into the grand prix and potentially benefit from a Safety Car intervention.
Pirelli states that starting on the Medium can be followed with a middle stint on the Hard before ending the race on the Medium, or vice versa.
It has also pointed out that pole-sitter Leclerc has one set of Hards and two sets of Mediums, while his direct rivals have one set of Mediums and two sets of Hards.
Pirelli’s motorsport director says that the race is likely to “see some different strategies, in conditions that are going to be perhaps hotter than [qualifying].”
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