Red Bull , McLaren and Fernando Alonso stand out among those approved for the French Grand Prix . Among those suspended, it is surprising to see Mercedes and Ferrari on this occasion, a team that has not scored points at Paul Ricard despite having Carlos Sainz and Leclerc in their ranks.
Red Bull: Approved
The Austrian team has been the great beneficiary of everything that has happened at Paul Ricard. Although Max Verstappen made a mistake at the start that saw Lewis Hamilton go first, Red Bull stopped the Dutchman earlier, returning him to first place. Red Bull also saw that Verstappen’s tires would not be fresh at the end and made him stop for the second time. Thanks to this, he was able to overtake Hamilton again in the absence of a lap to go.
Mercedes: Suspense
Mercedes , on the other hand, failed to see that the proper strategy against Red Bull was to go two stops. Seeing how Max Verstappen entered again, he opted for Lewis Hamilton not to do it so as not to give up the first position. However, with badly damaged tires, the Briton could not defend himself when Verstappen passed him with one lap remaining.
Valtteri Bottas: Suspense
Who knows if Max Verstappen would have caught up with Lewis Hamilton if Valtteri Bottas had been able to keep the Dutchman behind him longer. However, as soon as Verstappen entered the DRS zone, Bottas made a mistake that allowed Verstappen to overtake him quickly. The Finn was also unable to defend his position on the podium against Sergio Pérez . Thanks to this, after the French Grand Prix, Red Bull is more leader of the World Cup.
McLaren: Approved
Another team that leaves with a good taste in France is McLaren. Although Lando Norris started the race in eighth position and Daniel Ricciardo in tenth, they both finished fifth and sixth respectively. Seeing the superiority of Red Bull and Mercedes on this track, McLaren was the first in the rest of the world, a result that has allowed it to overtake Ferrari and place third in the Constructors’ World Championship.
Ferrari: Suspended
If Ferrari has given up its place in the Constructors’ World Championship it is because it has not been able to score any points in the French Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz was eleventh and Leclerc had one of his worst races at the end of sixteenth. ” When you have such a bad pace and so much degradation you can’t do anything with the strategy, ” Carlos Sainz said after the race. Regarding the next two appointments in Austria, the Madrilenian pointed out: ” You will see us experiment and try new things to fight this problem because it is already becoming quite evident that in the race we are going backwards and we have problems with the tires.”
Fernando Alonso: Approved
The one who has stopped experimenting is Fernando Alonso. After two years of absence, the Asturian is fine-tuning his set-up and this has been demonstrated in France. Fernando Alonso has returned to vindicate himself against Esteban Ocon both in qualifying and in the race. Although on Saturday he sneaked into Q3, something that his teammate did not achieve; in the French Grand Prix he was eighth while Esteban Ocon was fourteenth.
Aston Martin: Approved
While Alpine has only scored with Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin has done so with Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll . Aston Martin, from less to more so far this season, remains the sixth team in the Constructors’ World Championship ahead of Alpine.
Pierre Gasly: Approved
Above Aston Martin in the Constructors’ World Championship, AlphaTauri remains fifth. This is due to the contribution of Pierre Gasly and that of Yuki Tsunoda , again outside the points zone, is still scarce. Gasly He was racing at home and finished the French Grand Prix seventh behind the McLarens and ahead of a Fernando Alonso that he defended tooth and nail during the last laps.
Esteban Ocon: Suspense
Fernando Alonso’s teammate was running at home and has not been up to the task. Despite an overwhelming start that led the Asturian driver to recognize that his one hundred percent was not enough to match Esteban Ocon, his performance has fallen in recent races. Despite this, Alpine has given him a vote of confidence by renewing his contract, something that they have not been able to celebrate in France as they expected.
