Our 22F1 league returns this weekend with the French Grand Prix. Here's the latest Cheat Sheet with Race by Race Points & Salary List. Preview courtesy of Sportskeeda.com.
Key storylines
#1 Upgrades! Upgrades! Upgrades!
The 2022 F1 French GP might just be the last race where we see a raft of changes in the cars. There have already been teams that have made notable changes this season, especially Williams and Aston Martin with their Red Bull-inspired upgrades. Others like Haas, however, are yet to put a single piece of upgrade on the car.
Two more standouts this weekend in terms of upgrades are going to be Haas and Mercedes. Both teams will be bringing sizeable upgrades and hoping that these changes deliver the desired jump in performance that the teams are looking for. Mercedes will be desperately hoping that the upgrades bring the team closer to the top two teams, while Haas will be hoping for just the boost they need to make significant improvements for the rest of the season.
#2 The ever crucial juncture for the championship
For Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, there is still some momentum, albeit imperfect, that the team has gained over the last couple of races. Ferrari did have a dominant speed advantage over Red Bull in Austria but it could more or less be put down to a lack of proper set up which resulted in tire degradation for the latter.
What we have found out, however, is that this season, it's hard to pick which team will perform better over a race track because the performances are starting to converge. For Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, though, this weekend is crucial. The team is riding on a 2-race win streak. Leclerc needs to build on that momentum this weekend and target another race win.
#3 Can the F1 French GP deliver?
The 2023 F1 calendar is rumored to have dropped the French GP and the Belgian GP from next season. While there are suggestions that Spa will be back on an alternate season basis, Circuit Paul Ricard might be on its way out of the calendar.
One reason behind this is the outrage caused by Spa losing its spot on the calendar but a rather lukewarm reaction for Paul Ricard. This just showed that fans were not too bothered if the French GP stayed on the calendar or not.
Form Guide
On Form
Charles Leclerc's win at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP was a rousing return to form, and the podium, for the Ferrari driver. In terms of performances, Leclerc has not put a foot wrong but the Monegasque has been rather unfortunate as things have gone against him one race after the other.
At the Spielberg race, Leclerc showed that he can match up to Max Verstappen and even beat him if given the right machinery. At the 2022 F1 French GP, the Ferrari driver will be looking to build on that momentum.
Out of Form
McLaren is in trouble of getting somewhat exposed this season. The team has maintained a strong and respectful stature in the last two seasons as the gatekeepers of the midfield. This season, however, after assuming the throne once again after the first few races, it appears to be slipping away. Alpine has been bringing upgrades relentlessly while McLaren seems to be stuck in the mud.
The two teams are now level on points and with Alpine scheduled to bring in another upgrade, McLaren might get thrown back into midfield obscurity after what has been an impressive rise in the last few years."