Preview of the French Grand Prix weekend, Round 8 of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, from 21-23 June.
Facts & Stats
- Lap distance: 5.842 km. Total distance: 309.69km (53 laps)
- 2018 pole: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes
- 2018 winner: Hamilton
- Race lap record: One minute 34.225 seconds, Valtteri Bottas (Finland), Mercedes, 2018.
- Start time: 1310 GMT (1510 local)
French Grand Prix
- This weekend’s race will be the 60th French Grand Prix in world championship history.
- Hamilton (2018) and Kimi Raikkonen (2007) are the only current drivers to have won in France, which was off the calendar for a decade until 2018.
- Last year was Le Castellet’s first grand prix since 1990, when Frenchman Alain Prost handed Ferrari their 100th win. Sunday will be the 16th grand prix at the southern circuit.
- There are two French drivers in the race - Romain Grosjean (Haas) and Pierre Gasly (Red Bull).
Race Victories
- Hamilton has 78 victories from 236 races and is closing the gap to Schumacher’s record 91. He has also won 56 of the 107 races in the V6 turbo hybrid era that started in 2014.
- Vettel, third on the all-time list, has 52.
- Ferrari have won 235 races since 1950, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 94 and Red Bull 59. Former champions McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.
Pole Position
- Hamilton has a record 85 career poles, Vettel 56.
- Only two of the seven races so far this season have been won from pole - Bottas in Azerbaijan and Hamilton in Monaco.
Podiums
- Hamilton has 141 career podiums and needs to finish in the top three in every race this year to equal Schumacher’s record of 155. Vettel has 115.
Milestones
- Mercedes have won the first seven races of the season, and the last nine in total.
- The record for most successive wins by a team is 14, by Ferrari in 1952-53 although that run excludes Indianapolis which was a part of the championship. In the modern era, McLaren won 11 in a row in 1988.
- Mercedes won 10 in a row in 2016.
Circuit Paul Ricard FAQs
Source: F1.com
Source: F1.com
When was the track built?
Work began on pastis magnate Paul Ricard’s track in 1969, with French racers Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo acting as consultants on the layout. Racing began at the circuit a year later.
Work began on pastis magnate Paul Ricard’s track in 1969, with French racers Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo acting as consultants on the layout. Racing began at the circuit a year later.
When was its first Grand Prix?
Formula 1 hit the Circuit Paul Ricard in 1971, with Jackie Stewart winning the inaugural race in his Tyrrell 003.
Formula 1 hit the Circuit Paul Ricard in 1971, with Jackie Stewart winning the inaugural race in his Tyrrell 003.
What’s the circuit like?
The Circuit Paul Ricard’s even distribution of high-, medium- and low-speed corners is a key reason why it’s one of the most used test circuits in the world (the typically good weather is another). F1 drivers love the 290km/h right-hander at Signes and the 5g joyride of the following Beausset bend, while the circuit’s 2018 return to the F1 calendar showed that the French Grand Prix track is a bit of an overtaking gem.
The Circuit Paul Ricard’s even distribution of high-, medium- and low-speed corners is a key reason why it’s one of the most used test circuits in the world (the typically good weather is another). F1 drivers love the 290km/h right-hander at Signes and the 5g joyride of the following Beausset bend, while the circuit’s 2018 return to the F1 calendar showed that the French Grand Prix track is a bit of an overtaking gem.
Why go?
Drive just 10km south of the circuit and you’ll find yourself on the French Riviera, one of the most revered coastlines in the world thanks to its beautiful beaches, pretty harbourside towns, great food and, if you fancy it, incredible local wines. Apart from the racing action, that’s why you go!
Drive just 10km south of the circuit and you’ll find yourself on the French Riviera, one of the most revered coastlines in the world thanks to its beautiful beaches, pretty harbourside towns, great food and, if you fancy it, incredible local wines. Apart from the racing action, that’s why you go!
Where is the best place to watch?
https://www.grandprix247.com/2018/06/24/french-grand-prix-hamilton-wins-vettel-stumbles/
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