French GP pre-race countdown

“Heading to France’s Paul Ricard circuit after the races in Monaco and Baku definitely does change my approach.

“The last two tracks gave no margin for error, and a single mistake would most likely result in an accident.

“Paul Ricard has loads of run-off areas, with no gravel, no grass and no astroturf, which is very uncommon. It’s still a tricky and challenging circuit, but as the margin for error is larger, it is easier to explore the limits of the car and tyres.

“In terms of preparation, sometimes you want to try and go just over that limit, so you know the furthest you can push. That doesn’t necessarily mean risking a crash or a spin, more often it’s just a big snap of oversteer. If you have that in Monaco you’re in the wall, but at Paul Ricard you can keep going.

“Paul Ricard is famous for its blue and red painted run-offs. These are covered in a type of friction tarmac. It’s different to the main track surface, so if you do go off it should slow you down more quickly.

“In terms of driving it’s definitely not as complicated to find where you’re going compared to when you look at an aerial photo! From above it can look like a maze, particularly the chicane section where there appear to be several different ways to go. Luckily from my vantage point, sitting so low in the car, it’s much simpler to follow.

“As always, keep an eye on my socials for more updates during the weekend. I’ll post another blog after the weekend, when I’ll be looking ahead to the double-header at the Red Bull Ring.”