It was under a blazing sun expected all weekend that the Grand Prix de France started at Le Castellet. The drivers quickly took to the track because this Friday is crucial to test the deterioration of the Pirelli tyres, but also to assess the changes made to the single-seaters.
It was McLaren who brought the most advanced single-seater, with new sidepods and a new floor. The MCL36 also has new vents to counter the heat of the Paul Ricard circuit. The vertical fins in front of the floor have also changed on Woking’s single-seater.
AlphaTauri also brought a revised package, with an engine cover closer to the Red Bull RB18, and a revised diffuser. The edges of the floor have also changed. Red Bull has also made changes, only to the vertical fins surrounding the entry of the ducts under the floor.
Ferrari brought a revised floor, with new vertical fins at the front where the grooves begin which then continue under the floor. Mercedes features a revised floor on its rear part and new scoops. The muzzle received larger openings, such as the engine cover, to counter the high heat, but did not evolve in its shape.
Alpine F1 and Aston Martin have made some changes to their floor, and Williams has brought the evolved package, already present since the British Grand Prix, to Nicholas Latifi’s car.
A test session difficult to decipher
We learned at the start of the session that Carlos Sainz will receive a penalty of 10 grid places Sunday, which could turn into a start at the back of the grid. No other driver is currently subject to penalties.
Nyck de Vries took the wheel of the Mercedes W13 in place of Lewis Hamilton as part of the rookie driver trials. The Dutchman, a Formula E driver, had previously driven for Williams in Barcelona. At Alfa Romeo, Robert Kubica replaced Valtteri Bottas, but this running was linked to the Pole’s sponsor, Orlen.
Pierre Gasly had an engine alert on his first lap but his AlphaTauri was able to get back on its feet in the pits. Sergio Pérez then spun at turn 3, with no consequences for the Red Bull driver.
Carlos Sainz took the lead ahead of Max Verstappen at the start of the session, while de Vries managed to reach provisional third place when he put on the soft tires. Subsequently, Verstappen took the lead in 1’34″021, despite a small scare.
The Dutchman broke a drift in front of his floor by crossing a curb, but was able to improve his time. It was then Pierre Gasly who took fourth place, before Charles Leclerc took the lead in 1’33″930, while Gasly took provisional fourth place.
Leclerc was not beaten at the end of the session, and thus retains the lead for 0 “091 ahead of Verstappen and Sainz. Russell is fourth ahead of Gasly, Pérez, Lando Norris and Alex Albon, all the same relegated to almost 1 ” 5. De Vries is ninth ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.
Guanyu Zhou is 11th ahead of Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, then Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and the Haas drivers, with Mick Schumacher ahead of Kevin Magnussen. Yuki Tsunoda, less lively than Gasly with the advanced AT03, Kubica and Latifi complete the ranking.
| Pos. | Pilot | Car | Temps | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari F1-75 | 1:33.930 | 23 |
| 02 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull RBPT RB18 | 1:34.021 | 19 |
| 03 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari F1-75 | 1:34.268 | 21 |
| 04 | George Russell | Mercedes W13 | 1:34.881 | 25 |
| 05 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri RBPT AT03 | 1:34.979 | 21 |
| 06 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull RBPT RB18 | 1:35.174 | 21 |
| 07 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL36 | 1:35.232 | 21 |
| 08 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW44 | 1:35.414 | 24 |
| 09 | Nyck De Vries | Mercedes W13 | 1:35.426 | 23 |
| 10 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes MCL36 | 1:35.660 | 21 |
| 11 | Guanyu Zhou | Alfa Romeo Ferrari C42 | 1:35.676 | 21 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR22 | 1:35.810 | 19 |
| 13 | Stephen Ocon | Alpine Renault A522 | 1:35.828 | 21 |
| 14 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR22 | 1:35.851 | 24 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault A522 | 1:35.875 | 22 |
| 16 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari VF-22 | 1:36.022 | 19 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-22 | 1:36.104 | 22 |
| 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri RBPT AT03 | 1:36.127 | 26 |
| 19 | Robert Kubica | Alfa Romeo Ferrari C42 | 1:36.332 | 19 |
| 20 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes FW44 | 1:37.043 | 23 |