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The starting grid for the 2022 F1 French GP is more or less settled. Once again, it is a familiar sight to see Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen at the front of the grid. This is going to be another close battle between the two stars of the future and just like so many battles they've had this season, this one is going to be close as well.
Having said that, what can we expect from tomorrow's race? Who is going to win? How will the midfield teams stack up? What about the drivers starting at the back? We're here to answer all these questions and more as in this feature we share our race predictions for the 2022 F1 French GP.
#5 This could be a race of attrition for the teams
High temperatures are a concern this weekend as evident from the countless cooling solutions teams appear to be employing. The real test of all these solutions, however, will be in the race when the cars will be running in traffic and high temperatures will start to become an issue.
Ferrari has notoriously struggled with high temperatures when it comes to its PU reliability and at the 2022 F1 French GP, that is going to be one area that will surely be tested.
The new generation of cars does not have the best reliability when you compare them with the previous generation and this is surely going to play a role in the 2022 F1 French GP as well. Expect a few retirements up and down the grid this time around (let's hope it's not another Ferrari PU that blows up in smoke).
#4 Lando Norris best of the rest
Lando Norris appears to be a man on a mission this weekend. The driver gets disregarded far too many times because the Mclaren this season is just not a good enough car. There are these races, however, where the McLaren package comes alive and more often than not, Norris is right at the forefront of extracting the most from it.
At the 2022 F1 French GP qualifying, this was clearly on evidence as the McLaren driver not only went toe-to-toe with the Mercedes drivers, he even got the better of one of them. While it would be pushing too far to expect Norris to challenge Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the race trim, one can expect him to keep everyone else in the midfield in his rearview mirror. For the 2022 F1 French GP, expect Norris to finish as the best of the rest behind the Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes drivers.
#3 Sebastian Vettel scores points
Sebastian Vettel will be starting the race in 12th position and it is already a huge surprise that the German was able to drag the Aston Martin this high. Having said that, even though Aston Martin's one-lap pace is somewhat poor, Vettel's race pace on Friday was very impressive. Expect the German to make his way into the top 10 and once again score points for the team.
#2 Carlos Sainz finishes the race in the top 5
If there's one thing that has looked quite obvious this weekend, then it has been the form that Carlos Sainz is in. The driver has matched and sometimes even beaten Charles Leclerc when it comes to one-lap pace as well. The Spaniard will be starting the race at the back of the grid and with tire management proving to be a decisive factor, Sainz should be able to make good progress through the field.
Can he fight for the win? No, not really! Even a podium seems out of reach for that matter. A top 5 position, however, especially considering the ease of overtaking on this track, is very possible.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2022 F1 French GP
Max Verstappen had a significantly better race pace than the rest of the grid on Friday but that's not the only reason why we favor him to win this one. In his battle with Charles Leclerc, the Red Bull driver appears to have a lot of pieces stacked in his favor.
The car appears to have a better race pace, better straight-line speed, and even if we keep these things aside, there is this strategic advantage that comes into play with having your teammate in P3. Too many things are working for the Red Bull driver heading into the 2022 F1 French GP for him to mess this up.
