Lewis Hamilton unwinds between races by jumping out of a plane

Follow live coverage of the French Grand Prix as Max Verstappen hopes to deliver on pole position today.

The lead Red Bull and overall championship leader finished 0.258 seconds clear of title rival Lewis Hamilton in Saturday qualifying with fellow Mercedes Valtteri Bottas next up in third. Sergio Perez, winner last time out in Azerbaijan, starts fourth in the other Red Bull ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly.

Hamilton has dominated the past two editions of the French race, winning both from pole, but the seven-time world champion has had no answer for the pace of Red Bull and Verstappen here this weekend. Hamilton, using Bottas’ old chassis following a planned rotation of parts, has not been entirely at one with his machine, complaining in practice on Friday that there was something wrong with his car.

Verstappen lines up at the start with a four-point advantage in the title race and will hope to extend it by the end of the day. Follow all the latest updates from Circuit Paul Ricard:

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French Grand Prix

An update from the track: the chance of rain during the French Grand Prix is 10 per cent.

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:55

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French Grand Prix

The French Grand Prix trophy is a crystal gorilla, which has just been dropped onto the track from a helicopter by an abseiling soldier. As you do.

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:52

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French Grand Prix: Starting grid

1. Max Verstappen – Red Bull

2. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes

3. Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes

4. Sergio Perez – Red Bull

5. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari

6. Pierre Gasly – AlphaTauri

7. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

8. Lando Norris – McLaren

9. Fernando Alonso – Alpine

10. Daniel Ricciardo – McLaren

11. Esteban Ocon – Alpine

12. Sebastian Vettel – Aston Martin

13. Antonio Giovinazzi – Alfa Romeo

14. George Russell – Williams

15. Mick Schumacher – Haas

16. Nicholas Latifi – Williams

17. Kimi Raikkonen – Alfa Romeo

18. Nikita Mazepin – Haas

19. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin

20. Yuki Tsunoda – AlphaTauri

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:45

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French Grand Prix: Drivers standings

Here’s how the top of the drivers standings looks ahead of the seventh race of the 2021 season – just four points separate Verstappen and Hamilton ahead of today’s race, and they are lined up alongside each other on the front row!

1. Max Verstappen – 105 points

2. Lewis Hamilton – 101

3. Sergio Perez – 69

4. Lando Norris – 66

5. Charles Leclerc – 52

6. Valtteri Bottas – 47

7. Carlos Sainz – 42

8. Pierre Gasly – 31

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:36

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French Grand Prix: Can Verstappen convert?

In six races so far this season, only Lewis Hamilton has won a race from pole position. This is Max Verstappen’s first pole position since the opening race in Bahrain, where Lewis Hamilton came from behind to claim victory and take an early lead in the standings.

Hamilton’s victory in Spain is the only occasion a driver has managed to convert his pole position so far this season, with Charles Leclerc qualifying on pole in each of the previous two races.

The pit lane is open and the cars are on the grid in France. 30 minutes to go now!

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:30

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French Grand Prix: Weather forecast

Rain had been forecast for the region around Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France today, but it does not look like it will impact the race this afternoon.

Conditions currently look overcast and windy but the track appears dry for now. There was a bit of rain earlier on during the Formula 3 race but the track surface has dried since then.

(Getty Images)

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 13:18

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How to watch the French Grand Prix today

Hamilton, who has won the past two races at Circuit Paul Ricard, will line up on the front grid behind title rival Max Verstappen, with their dramatic championship battle set to take another twist this afternoon.

“It has been a really, really hard weekend, mentally, trying to get the car into a happy place,” Hamilton went on to say after qualifying in second place.

“You wouldn’t believe how many changes we have made. Going round and round and chasing our tail. But we have got a race on our hands, we are loving the battle, and we are going to keep pushing, keep fighting to give it everything.

“We’ve got a fighting chance into Turn 1, and maybe it will rain, so potentially you will get to see the rain meisters do their thing.”

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 12:59

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French Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton on chassis ‘myth’

Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes on the front row alongside championship rival Max Verstappen for Sunday’s French Grand Prix – and then branded Sky Sports’ pundit Paul Di Resta’s claim that he wanted his old chassis back as a “myth”.

Ahead of the seventh round of the season in the south of France Mercedes switched Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas’ chassis around in what the world champions called a planned rotation of parts to even out the mileage on their two cars.

But the unusual move has raised eyebrows in the paddock. Di Resta, who competed in 59 grands prix, claimed in commentary during Friday practice that the British driver would be ruing his team’s decision.

It is understood that Hamilton watched a replay of Sky’s coverage on Friday evening and took umbrage with Di Resta’s remarks. Di Resta was then handed the duty of conducting the post-qualifying interviews.

Moments after stepping out of his Mercedes , Hamilton said: “I saw you coming up with some myth so I was happy to be able to prove it wrong and prove the quality of our engineers’ work.”

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 12:53

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French Grand Prix: Warm reception for local hero

Pierre Gasly heads into his home race at the French Grand Prix in fine form after he followed up his podium finish in Baku with sixth on the grid in qualifying.

The AlphaTauri driver split the Ferraris yesterday as he continued his impressive record in qualifying this season, although the Frenchman admitted he had been struggling with his car in practice at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

“I’m really surprised to be there,” Gasly said. “It’s a really positive to split the two Ferraris and also outqualify the McLarens.”

He received a warm welcome from his home crowd when arriving at the track earlier on.

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 12:41

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French Grand Prix

Max Verstappen is determined to make up the lost ground after qualifying on pole position for the French Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver was cruelly denied victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out after suffering a dramatic tyre failure as he cruised to the finish line.

After claiming pole ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton yesterday, he said: “For us, a great day and of course we have to finish it off tomorrow and try and get 25 points that we lost in Baku. But it’s great promise from our side and I hope that we can keep it up.

“I think there’s a lot to play for tomorrow, there’s a long race ahead of us, and I think we can definitely have a strong race and push the Mercs from Lap 1. My starts have been very good, so hopefully off the line I can get a couple of positions and then manage our race from there.”

Jamie Braidwood20 June 2021 12:31

Source: The Independent

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