Paul Ricard returns this weekend after a year away
Antonin Vincent / DPPI
The French Grand Prix is back on the calendar after a year away and Covid-enforced absence. Paul Ricard hosts round seven of the 2021 Formula 1 season.
Make sure you don’t miss any of the track action across the entire weekend with this timetable for coverage of the practice, qualifying and race sessions.
Here are all the session start times, TV channels for the 2021 French Grand Prix
(All times BST)
The French GP is scheduled for 53 laps. There is currently around a 30% chance of rain arriving in time to affect the race start though the majority of the poor weather is expected after the chequered flag.
Sky Sports F1 is the place to watch each of the sessions live and as they happen. Sky Sports F1 will cover every session along with pre and post-session coverage. FP1 starts at 10am, FP2 later on Friday at 1:45pm. Coverage of FP3 on Saturday starts at 10:45am with qualifying build-up starting at 1pm. Race day build-up begins at 12:30pm on Sunday and coverage continues post-race up until 5:30pm.
Highlights of the French Grand Prix will be shown on Channel 4 with qualifying coverage starting at 6pm Saturday and race highlights beginning at 6:30pm on Sunday evening.
The French Grand Prix weekend will be available to stream on NowTV. You can watch Sky Sports F1 across the weekend including each of the Friday practice sessions to Sunday’s pre and post-race coverage.
Red Bull has comfortably had the measure of Mercedes in recent races around the streets but a return to a conventional circuit change that?
The FIA’s clampdown on flexible wings this weekend means that the style of rear wing Red Bull ran in Spain is now outlawed with new deflection tests preventing excessive flex.
Paul Ricard hosts the 2021 French Grand Prix and round seven of the Formula 1 season. Here are a few key things to keep an eye on throughout the weekend in France
It meant Red Bull could generate greater downforce and prevent excessive wear on the tyres through the corners but not lose out on the straights as much to Mercedes as the wing deflected down to reduce drag.
On top of that, the fallout from the Pirelli tyre failures in Baku have meant that teams will have to adhere to strict mandates on how they treat their tyres. Teams will no longer be allowed to remove tyre blankets for longer than 30 seconds before leaving the garage. Will that change the picture at the top on Saturday?
Mercedes will be hoping so as it has been fortunate to remain close to the championship leaders over the past two races with dire results back to back.
It arrives at a track it is yet to lose at. When F1 last visited Paul Ricard, the Silver Arrows claimed a 1-2 finish as Lewis Hamilton won comfortably. On the last ‘proper’ circuit, Hamilton took victory with stronger race pace than Max Verstappen in Barcelona as the Mercedes went easier on the tyres than its rival.
Can Verstappen change that this year and extend his championship lead? It’ll be a closely fought affair between the two.
Free Practice 1: 10:30 – 11:30
Free Practice 2: 14:00 – 15:00
Free Practice 3: 11:00 – 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 – 15:00
Race: 14:00 – 16:00
