France 2018 - GP Preview - Sauber Ferrari

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is heading to Le Castellet for the comeback of the famous French Grand Prix at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Located near the beautiful town of Marseilles in the South of France, this historical track’s return to the pinnacle of motorsport has racing enthusiasts’ hearts beating faster. Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc look forward to competing in their first Formula 1 Grand Prix at this renowned location. Mastering this circuit will pose a challenge to all of the drivers, with highlights such as the famous Mistral straight and the celebrated Signes corner making it an unforgettable experience.

Marcus Ericsson

"It will be interesting weekend in France. I drove on the Circuit Paul Ricard in GP2 many years ago, but returning there with Formula 1 will be a new challenge, not only to me, but to all of the drivers. The circuit has some interesting parts. Especially the second part of the lap with its long corners should be fun to tackle. I have been working hard with myself and the team since the last race, and am determined to have a good weekend at Le Castellet. I look forward to arriving there."

Charles Leclerc

"I look forward to the French Grand Prix. I have driven on the Circuit Paul Ricard only once in the past. It was quite a long time ago, so it will be exciting to go back there and experience driving there in a Formula 1 car. It is a very technical track, and offers some good challenges to us as drivers. Le Castellet is close to home for me, which is nice. I look forward to meeting all of the French fans there, and to making further progress as a team."

Track facts

The Circuit Paul Ricard first opened in 1970, hosting the first Formula 1 race in the following year. Its trademark is the long back straight, the Mistral straight, which was originally 1,8 km long, and shortened to 1 km after a chicane was built in the middle of it. This is a power-hungry circuit, with tremendous stress on power-units due to the high use of open-throttle. The second trademark are the black, blue, and red escape zones in tarmac in place of gravel. These zones also provide different grip to tyres, the red one being more abrasive than the blue, providing more stopping power as cars advance deeper into the run-off areas.