George Russell thinks the elements can make 2022 F1 French GP 'a quite interesting race'

George Russell thinks the weather and wind could factor in the 2022 F1 French GP, making it an interesting race. The Briton was cautiously optimistic about his expectations for the weekend and believes the Paul Ricard circuit should suit Mercedes the most.

Answering Sportskeeda's question about the expectations in terms of performance in a team media session, the Mercedes driver said:

“I think it’s going to be challenging for everybody because it’s just so hot. On a circuit like this with very long corners the track temperature is going to be almost 60 degrees. It’s gonna be really tough for the tyres, for the cars, and It’s gonna make a quite interesting race, I think. And always, it doesn’t make the balance of the car feel that nice. It’s also quite open here with a lot of wind normally.”

The Mercedes driver believes the heat is a factor when it comes to managing both tires and brake temperatures for everyone, which could affect the balance of the car considering the layout of the French circuit. Russell also feels the warm track temperatures coupled with the wind could make the race more interesting.

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George Russell believes the Paul Ricard circuit should suit Mercedes the most, at least on paper

George Russell feels that Circuit Paul Ricard is theoretically one of the tracks that could suit the Mercedes W13 the most. Suggesting that the team has brought upgrades, the Mercedes driver believes that it is still difficult to comprehend where they stand in comparison to the other teams.

Highlighting their realistic expectations for the weekend, Russell told Sportskeeda:

“It’s all a relative game at the end of the day, you know. We think we will bring more performance to the car this weekend. I don’t know what the other teams have in stock, if they are bringing anything at all or not. Yeah, for sure, on paper, things should be slightly more beneficial here compared to other events.”

While George Russell still has more championship points than Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s standings, the gap has narrowed down. The Briton admitted on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast that performing against the seven-time world champion was critical in him retaining his seat at Mercedes after his maiden season with the team.