2022 French GP: Everything you need to know about Circuit Paul Ricard ahead of 2022 French Grand Prix

2022 French GP: Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will look forward to battling for the race win once again at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Last year’s French GP provided F1 fans with an intense climax. Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were engaged in a battle of strategies, and the former ended up on top.

Verstappen passed the Mercedes driver on the penultimate lap, to take home the race win in Le Castellet. It was one of the many exciting duels between the two we saw over the course of the 2021 season.

This season, Hamilton is not a Title protagonist. Instead, it’s Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who is in the mix as of right now. The Monegasque is 38 points behind his rival Verstappen, and will be looking to closing the gap this weekend.

Circuit Paul Ricard is a circuit that splits opinions. A vast majority of fans don’t like this track, particularly because of it’s confusing red, white and blue lines that run along the entire circuit.

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2022 French GP: Circuit Paul Ricard length and number of laps

This track has gone through quite a few changes since it was built in 1969. The current layout of this track has been in use since 2005, and it is 3.360 miles (5.842 km) long.

A total of 53 laps of racing action awaits us this Sunday for the French GP. Most people are predicting yet another battle between Ferrari and Red Bull. However, Mercedes are also reportedly bringing in major upgrades which may bolster their chances.

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Circuit Paul Ricard lap time records

The circuit has gone through a lot of changes over the years. However, the current layout which has been in use since 2005 has Sebastian Vettel as it’s record lap time holder.

With a time of 1:32.740, Vettel took his Ferrari SF90 around Circuit Paul Ricard on a blistering lap. The four-time World Champion is no longer with Ferrari, after he left the Maranello based outfit for Aston Martin in 2021.

The 2022 regulations have seen cars become a bit slower compared to the old gen ones. This limits the possibility of us seeing the lap time record held by Vettel being broken.

French GP Past winner

F1 racing at Circuit Paul Ricard returned in 2018 after being absent since 1990. The 2018 installment saw Lewis Hamilton win the race, with Verstappen P2 and Kimi Raikkonen P3. It was also absent in 2020 when the sport followed a reduced schedule due to the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Past Winners:

2018- Lewis Hamilton
2019- Lewis Hamilton
2021- Max Verstappen

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