F1 2018: 5 early predictions for the French GP

Only one point separates Championship leader Sebastian Vettel from Lewis Hamilton, and just two points separate third and fourth-placed Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo. The race for the title is close and has been swinging back and forth between the Ferrari and Mercedes drivers.

After a 10 year hiatus, the French Grand Prix comes back on the calendar. What's even more astonishing, is that after almost a 30-year absence from the F1, the Circuit Paul Ricard just outside of Marseilles has been chosen to host the returning French GP.

To put it into perspective, the last race at Paul Ricard in 1990 was won by Alain Prost!

Will the return of this historic track lead to a historic race or a standard race with little to remember? Will any of the 2018 roster's three French drivers make an impact? Who will leave France leading the World Championship?

These are all pertinent questions, and while we don't know for sure, that certainly won't stop us from guessing!

#1 Ricciardo takes pole

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While France has not had it's own Grand Prix in a decade, F1 has still had a French presence in its crown jewel of Monaco.

This year at Monaco, Daniel Ricciardo did an exceptional job putting his Red Bull on pole and took the victory. The Australian driver is still in contention for the Championship this year and if his luck at French tracks continues he could see his Red Bull on pole again at Paul Ricard.

Ricciardo achieved only his second pole in Monaco and he will be eager to make it a third in France. His teammate Max Verstappen also placed an impressive third in Canada, showing that the Red Bull car does have what it takes to challenge for pole.

While Red Bull may not have what it takes to consistently chase after the victory, we believe that the Honey Badger will find the speed necessary at another French track to take his third pole position.

#2 Ocon & Gasly have a Frenchman's duel

Of the 20 drivers on the 2018 grid, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, both hail from France. All driving from different teams, Ocon & Gasly in particular have had a strong rivalry coming up from karting till now.

The Honda-powered Toro Rosso and the Mercedes powered Force India are both relatively strong teams in the midfield, and with all eyes on the hometown drivers this weekend, it stands to reason that they will be looking to outshine each other.

Ocon especially will not be keen to take a backseat, as the man labelled Mr. Oconsistent after his string of finishes in single seater racing is currently eight points behind Gasly.

On the other hand, after an amazing P4 in Bahrain and a P7 in Monaco, Gasly will be eager to get consistent points in F1. With two hard driving Frenchman with a persona rivalry, we predict that the best battle in France will be between two of the hometown boys.

#3 Grosjean goes down in France

One of the most tragic stories from the 2018 season has been that of Romain Grosjean. A talented driver who has seen a combination of mistakes and bad luck come down on him has left him with no points so far.

His luck didn't get any better in Canada as an oil problem saw his Haas burn out of Qualifying at the start of Q1.

After LeClerc crashed in Monaco, and Stroll retired in Canada, it's hard to believe that all three of F1's current French drivers will make it out of Monaco unscathed.

And if we look at the current form of all three drivers, it's a safe bet that Grosjean's luck won't be turning around anytime soon.

Currently on three retirements out of seven, the most of any driver, we believe that Grosjean won't be able to shake his bad luck in his home country and will end up with four out of eight by the time he's done in Canada.

#4 Hamilton doesn't finish in the points

With 32 consecutive points-scoring finishes, Lewis Hamilton is on the run of the highest number of races finished in the points. An impressive streak that began in Japan 2016, Hamilton has been proving week after week why he is one of the best drivers to ever walk the earth.

That being said, all streaks must come to an end, and as of late, Hamilton has not been performing at the high standard that one would expect of him, scraping 3rd in Monaco and hanging onto 5th in Canada.

While these results are by no means bad, it's clear that Hamilton has been struggling with his car.

These matters certainly won't be helped by the fact that he has never raced at Paul Ricard before. Lewis could still well be on track to become champion this year, however, we believe he will need a reset, including a non-points finish in France.

#5 Alonso makes it Deux for Deux in France

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All eyes have been on Fernando Alonso these past few years as the Spanish double World Champion has been aggressively attempting to win the triple crown of Motorsports.

Already having won Monaco twice and after a failed attempt at the Indy 500 in 2017, Alonso proved his ability this past week. Alonso secured his second WEC win and his second part of the triple crown by winning the Le Mans 24 hours.

The McLaren driver sits an impressive seventh in the Championship, although he has retired in his last two races, leaving that best of the rest spot in danger.

Fernando will be frothing with the taste of victory in France with that win in Le Mans, and will likely be hungry for another at Paul Ricard.

Since this is a track that not many of the current roster has driven on, it stands to reason that someone like Alonso who may be the most adaptable driver in the world has a strong chance.

That's why we predict that the McLaren driver will ride a wave of momentum and take two victories in a row on French soil