Daniel Ricciardo hopes being one of only a few drivers to have raced at Paul Ricard could be an advantage as Formula 1 returns to France for the first time in a decade this weekend.
Last time the home of Grand Prix racing was on the calendar it was at the Magny-Cours circuit in the middle of the country, this time it is at Le Castellet which hasn’t welcomed F1 since 1990 and has been considered more a test facility than a racing venue.
Some junior series do still make the trip with the Australian doing so in 2011 in the Formula Renault 3.5 category, finishing sixth and second in the two races that took place, the only possible blip…
“I don’t know what configuration we will be using compared to back then,” he admitted with Paul Ricard offering numerous layout options down the Mistral Straight in particular.
Ricciardo, who won in the Principality of Monaco in the South of France last month, is also pleased to see the French Grand Prix back where it belongs on the F1 schedule.
“It’s cool,” he said. “Fingers crossed it provides a good race not only for the French fans but the rest of the world.
“Maybe I will even speak perfect French by the end of the weekend as it’s been a month of French-speaking races!’ he quipped. “Merci beaucoup, enchanté.”
Having been a test track for most of the last 15 years, safety at the circuit is among the highest at any in the world including plenty of blue-striped run-off areas which the Red Bull driver concedes won’t be as fun as the recent street tracks.
“As far as adrenaline goes, it’s probably a bit more mellow than the last few tracks,” he noted. “But if the racing is good then it makes up for it, so hopefully we will get that balance.
“There are some long technical corners, which aren’t always that fun, but they’re a challenge and if you get them right you appreciate it.
“The track will also allow some variations in driving technique and style, which could make it interesting,” he predicted.
As for teammate Max Verstappen, this will be his first racing experience at Paul Ricard having only driven in the F1 wet tyre test there in 2016.
“From what I have seen it is a power track with long straights,” he said. “But there are still a few corners in there where we can make a difference.
“It’s all a bit unknown, so we will have to see when we get there. I’m looking forward to seeing a new Grand Prix weekend.”
