FranceFrance
2022 season
Lance and Sebastian battled hard in the heat at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Lance bringing home a valuable point after a great start and Sebastian just missing out on a top-10 result.
We're continuing our trend of being more competitive on a Sunday so today is a good platform.
Lance Stroll
"We had a great first lap today that set us up to have a great race. I nearly got [Esteban] Ocon in Turn Nine as well, but it was important to have such a good start.
"I felt I had some momentum in the closing stages to possibly catch [Daniel] Ricciardo. We are continuing our trend of being more competitive on a Sunday so today is a good platform as the summer break approaches.
"I had a snap on the exit on the last lap because I was struggling with my tyres at the very end. It was a good fight with Sebastian, but the most important thing was to bring a point home for the team today."
The cars ahead of us were not disappearing – and we also understand the car a little bit more now.
Sebastian Vettel
"My afternoon was frustrating. I was stuck in traffic for the whole race – but you expect that when you start in the midfield.
And, with the strategy, I do not think there was really much more the team could have done there.
"It is clear that we need more grip. In the race, things were not too bad – the cars ahead of us were not disappearing – and we also understand the car a little bit more after this weekend.
"I had a chance to pass Lance on the final lap; I was a little bit faster but we are not fighting over one point – it is the same net result for the team. It does not make any difference."
A double points finish would have been great, but it was not to be.
Mike Krack
"We decided on a one-stop strategy for both drivers, but we did not want to risk stacking our drivers' tyre stops during the Safety Car period triggered by [Charles] Leclerc's accident because the pit lane was extremely congested at that point and we would have had to hold Sebastian for too long.
"Despite rear tyre degradation in the last third of the race, Lance did well to hold on to 10th and thereby score a hard-earned point, with Sebastian just behind him.
"A double points finish would have been great, but it was not to be. Even so, our race pace was decent and our reliability was good, and that is a solid basis to take forward to the Hungaroring – a circuit that we think may suit our car better than Paul Ricard.
"Last but far from least, on behalf of our whole team, I want to express our deepest sympathy with the family and friends of 18-year-old Jake Pedley, one of our apprentices, who tragically lost his life in a road accident on Tuesday."
Your guide to France
Insight and Speed
Unlocking the Lap
A lap begins with a tricky left-right chicane – the S de la Verrerie. Its slightly off-camber entry makes it tough to nail the apex; running wide can push drivers onto the exit kerbs. With its wide entry, it is considerably faster than it appears on the track map.
The key overtaking point is at Turns Eight and Nine – the chicane at the halfway point of the famous Mistral Straight. Nailing the entry is crucial, but getting the exit right sets drivers up for the following straight. It is often better to compromise the entry to set up the exit onto the second part of the straight.
Following the famed Signes corner is the tricky double-apex Beausset, Turn 11. It is a very long, fast right-hander and carrying momentum is key to setting up the next sequence of corners. It is over 180-degrees in radius and the front-left tyre suffers the most here on this clockwise circuit.
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