2022 F1 French GP can be Mercedes' 'best chance of fighting for victory,' predicts F1 pundit

Former driver-turned-pundit Jolyon Palmer believes the 2022 F1 French GP is Mercedes' best chance of fighting for victory given the smooth, bump-free surface at Circuit Paul Ricard. The German team is yet to win a race in 2022, but its drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have made multiple podium appearances.

The Silver Arrows are no longer the dominant team they were from 2014-2021, with their latest challenger, the W13, not being up to speed compared to Ferrari and Red Bull. The team has been struggling with porpoising issues since the season opener in Bahrain, unable to pose a significant challenge to the front runners.

The W13, however, seems to perform considerably better on smoother surfaces, with Mercedes being strong win-contenders in both Silverstone and Austria. Former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes the smooth, bump-free surface at the upcoming French GP will give the team their best chance of winning a race this year. Furthermore, the track has mostly medium-fast corners, which suit the W13 considerably well.

Palmer wrote in his post-2022 F1 Austrian GP column:

“Back on a conventional race circuit at Silverstone, and with another raft of upgrades, the team looked as though they had the possibility of winning again with Hamilton, although it was undoubtedly helped by damage hampering Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc. The French Grand Prix up next is one of the smoothest circuits, made up of predominantly medium and high-speed corners. Mercedes have always gone well there in the past and it surely poses their best chance of fighting for victory on merit so far this year.”

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Max Verstappen believes Mercedes are still far from fighting Red Bull at the top

Max Verstappen believes Mercedes need a little more fine-tuning before they can fight Red Bull again. The Dutchman feels it will be different to fight the Silver Arrows squad if they manage to be on par with his team or Ferrari by the end of the year.

The reigning world champion also believes his 2021 conflict with Lewis Hamilton was more about the battle between their respective teams. He told Servus TV:

“Last year’s conflict was not necessarily between the drivers but more between the teams. We are, of course, not fighting with Mercedes at the moment. I think it will be different if we fight each other again. Maybe at the end of the season. We’ll see.”

Continuing with the Silver Arrows, Verstappen acknowledged the pace improvements over at the German team but feels it will take a little more fine-tuning before they can be on par with Ferrari or Red Bull.

Commenting on Mercedes' performance, the Red Bull driver said:

“They are better than at the start of the year but they need just a little bit more. They are not bad over a single lap, but in the race on Sunday (Austrian Grand Prix) you saw we got away from them quickly. I think it also has to do with the different circuits. At Silverstone, they were very fast in the race. It’s the same with us and Ferrari. It’s about the details that can make the difference in the end.”

With half the season yet to be raced, fans of the Silver Arrows can keep their heads up high, hoping for an ever-elusive win from either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell.