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FP1 LIVE | F1 French Grand Prix - Can Mercedes bounce back against Red Bull?

18 June 2021 at 10:01
  • GPblog.com

The French Grand Prix weekend is about to begin, and that means it's time for the first free practice session. To what extent will Red Bull Racing be affected by the new rear wing rules? You can find out in GPblog's live blog.

FP1 French Grand Prix - Liveblog

 

The weekend in France will mainly be about the rear wing. From this weekend the FIA has introduced a new test which all teams must comply with. In this way, the 'Flexwings' of Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri should no longer be seen from this weekend.

Red Bull Racing's flexwing

The question is what impact this will have on the ranking. Red Bull, AlphaTauri, Alpine and Alfa Romeo will not have done it because it made them slower, so what will be the effect if they have to meet a stricter test? Will Mercedes get the upper hand again, or can Max Verstappen still compete for victory?

During the first free practice, however, it will be all about getting as much mileage out of the car as possible. It has been two years since the teams and drivers have driven here, so it will take some getting used to. Don't miss anything from the first session with GPblog's live blog.

Tyres

Another talking point this weekend will be the Pirelli tyres. With five laps remaining in Baku, Max Verstappen crashed out of the lead after his tyre blowout in a similar style to Lance Stroll a few laps earlier. Pirelli and the FIA will be monitoring the tyre pressures after sessions.