French Grand Prix preview

The French Grand Prix returns to the Formula One calendar for the first time in 10 years this weekend, with the Circuit Paul Ricard playing host for the first time in 28 years, so what can we expect from the weekend as we kick off the triple-header?

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• One of the longest circuits on the F1 calendar

• Technical circuit with a mix of long straights and slow corners

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  Horsepower dependant due to high percentage of lap spent full throttle

• Track surface is high grip and tyre wear should be relatively low

WHO'S IN CONTENTION FOR THE WIN?

Ferrari will arrive in the south of France as favourites for this weekend’s French Grand Prix, but Mercedes will hope their power unit upgrade, originally planned for Montreal, will give them the advantage and fire them back to the top step of the podium.

With a third of the season gone, the championship picture is still unclear as Sebastian Vettel holds a a narrow one point lead over Lewis Hamilton following his win in the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago.

With France being absent from the calendar since 2008, and the Circuit Paul Ricard not hosting a Grand Prix since 1990, it’s difficult to look at past form to pinpoint potential winners this weekend.

However, three long straights and some big braking zones make the circuit characteristics quite similar to that of Montreal, where Ferrari delivered pole position and the win last time out. A repeat performance this weekend would spice things up as F1 embarks on an unprecedented run of five races in just six weeks.

WILL MERCEDES PU UPGRADE DELIVER?

After a planned Montreal debut for their ‘PU2’ upgrade was delayed, Mercedes will finally introduce their new power unit this weekend, but will it deliver the performance boost the team are hoping for?

With Hamilton now trailing Vettel in the drivers’ championship, Mercedes need their latest upgrade to deliver with several power dependant circuits coming up in the middle part of the season, including Silverstone, Monza, and this weekend’s French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard.

After a strong start to the season, Ferrari are rumoured to have drawn level with Mercedes on outright power for the first time in the hybrid era, and with no more upgrades planned until the flyaway races begin in September, it could be a long summer for Mercedes if Ferrari now have the edge.

A THOUGHT PROVOKING WEEKEND FOR ALONSO?

You could forgive Fernando Alonso for being less than enthused about the prospect of battling for a handful of points this weekend after spending the previous one pounding round Le Mans in a race-winning LMP1 car.

As his focus switches back to F1, it will be interesting to examine Alonso’s demeanour and the way he deals with the press this weekend, who will no doubt hang on his every word for a hint at this future plans.

While Alonso might just keep that close to his chest for now, he’s already said that an Indy 500 challenge will take on a “high priority” when the time comes to consider his future. Whether that future includes F1 or not remains to be seen, but a disappointing run of results over the next few races will only serve to fuel speculation regarding his future.

CAN GROSJEAN END HIS RUN OF POOR FORM?

This weekend, Romain Grosjean will have the opportunity to race in France for the first time in his F1 career, and he arrives ‘home’ desperately needing a result to turn his season around.

Following a run of 11 point-less races stretching back to October, Grosjean is one of only two drivers to have failed to score yet this season, and suffered another dismal weekend in Montreal, striking a groundhog during practice before suffering an engine blowout during qualifying.

After a bright start to the season, Haas appear to have been leapfrogged by Force India in recent races so it could well be another difficult weekend ahead for Grosjean as he looks to break out of his current barren run.