Formula 1 2022 French Grand Prix Betting: Will polesitter Leclerc tighten title tussle with Verstappen?

After a thrilling race in Austria two weeks ago, the 2022 Formula One season resumes with the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard in southeastern France.

At the Austrian Grand Prix, championship leader Max Verstappen claimed pole position in Red Bull’s home race.

But after going six races without a win, Ferrari took the checkered flag for the second straight race as Charles Leclerc edged out the hard-charging Verstappen by 1.532 seconds.

Through 11 races, Verstappen is 38 points ahead of Leclerc at the top of the World Drivers’ Championship standings, with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez 57 points behind in third.

Current Formula One Standings (After 11 Races)

2022 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship Standings

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 208 points
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 170
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 151
4. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari) – 133
5. George Russell (Mercedes) – 128
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 109

2022 Formula One World Constructors’ Championship Standings

1. Red Bull – 359 points
2. Ferrari – 303
3. Mercedes – 237

The top three in the title table will occupy the first three spots on the French Grand Prix starting grid. Leclerc claimed pole by 0.304 seconds ahead of Verstappen, with Perez 0.463 seconds behind the Ferrari man.

But despite his position on the grid, Leclerc is not the favorite to take the win in tomorrow’s 53-lap race.

2022 French Grand Prix Odds

Race odds are via BetOnline.

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) -115
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +130
• Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +1100
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1600
• Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari) +3200
• George Russell (Mercedes) +3200
• Lando Norris (McLaren) +5000
• Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +10000

2022 French Grand Prix Race Information and Starting Grid

Race Information

• Race: 2022 French Grand Prix (Race 12 of 22 on the 2022 Formula One calendar)
• Venue & Location: Circuit Paul Ricard (Le Castellet, France)
• Date: Sunday, July 24, 2022
• 2021 Race Winner: Max Verstappen
• Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (3:00 p.m. local time)
• How to Watch the 2022 French Grand Prix on U.S. TV: ESPN

2022 French Grand Prix Starting Grid

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. George Russell (Mercedes)
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
9. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
11. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
12. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
13. Alex Albon (Williams)
14. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
16. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo)
17. Mick Schumacher (Haas)
18. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
19. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari)
20. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

2022 French Grand Prix Predictions and Picks

Race Winner Prediction: Charles Leclerc

After winning two of the first three races this season, Leclerc went seven races without a win before finally getting back on the top step on the podium in Austria.

It was a win that he desperately needed, both for his confidence and for his championship hopes.

It is understandable that Verstappen, who won this race this last year, is the favorite despite not being on pole. But after getting a much-needed win last time out and doing the business in qualifying here, Leclerc is good value to make it back-to-back wins.

French Grand Prix Betting Picks

All listed odds are via BetOnline, unless otherwise noted.

Fastest Lap: Carlos Sainz Jr. (+1100)

After capturing his first F1 win at the British Grand Prix last month, Sainz was in position for at least a podium in Austria before a power unit failure knocked him out of the race on the 57th lap.

He will be starting 19th at the French Grand Prix due to taking on his fourth engine of the season, which is one more than what is allowed over the course of the season.

That means he is unlikely to challenge for the win, but he’ll be aiming to pick up as many points and places as he can. With that in mind, it would not be a surprise to see him try to secure the fastest lap to bag an extra point.

With that in mind, I love the value with this pick. Hamilton (also +1100) also presents really good low-risk, high-reward value for fastest lap as well. Hamilton picked up fastest lap at Silverstone, and things are gradually starting to look up for Mercedes and the seven-time world champion, who has landed on the podium in three straight races.

Margin of Victory Under Five Seconds (+185)

In last year’s French Grand Prix, Verstappen saw off Hamilton by 2.904 seconds. There’s a good chance this year’s margin of victory will fall inside five seconds, as that is the way things have been trending over the last several races.

For the season, the margin of victory has been under five seconds six times in 11 races, including five times in the last seven races.

If Verstappen gets out front early and builds a lead, the odds of this happening will diminish. But if he has to work for the lead or spends the race trying to catch up to Leclerc, a closer margin of victory for the eventual winner is much more likely.