It was up to 59°C, at the end of the session, on the boiling track of Le Castellet and Leclerc, winner last Sunday in Austria, was 91 thousandths of a second ahead of the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) , winner last year on this circuit.

Verstappen is 38 points ahead of Leclerc in the championship standings at mid-season, after 11 out of 22 rounds.

Lewis Hamilton, winner in the Var in 2018 and 2019, lent his Mercedes, just for this session, to the Dutchman Nyck de Vries, Formula Electric world champion last year for the brand with the star.

He set the 9th fastest time in these EL1s.

At Alfa Romeo, Robert Kubica made his return, just for this session, in the seat usually occupied by Valtteri Bottas.

The Pole, winner in Canada in 2008, had played his 99th Grand Prix in September 2021 at Monza.

He only managed the 19th and penultimate time, more than three seconds behind Leclerc.

Just before the start of this session, Carlos Sainz learned that he would be penalized by at least ten places on the starting grid on Sunday due to an out-of-quota change to an electronic component in the hybrid engine of his Ferrari.

About 200,000 spectators are expected this weekend at Le Castellet, for the last year of the Var circuit and the South Region's contract with the American promoters of Formula 1.

Ranking of the 1st free practice session of the F1 French GP, Friday afternoon:

Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:33.930 (22 laps)

Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:34.021 (18)

Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 1:34.268 (20)

George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:34.881 (24)

Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:34.979

Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) 1:35.174

Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:35.232

Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes) 1:35.414

Nyck de Vries (NED/Mercedes) 1:35.426

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:35.660

Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo) 1:35.676

Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:35.810

Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:35.828

Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:35.851

Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine-Renault) 1:35.875

Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 1:36.022

Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:36.104

Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:36.127

Robert Kubica (POL/Alfa Romeo) 1:36.332

Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 1:37.043

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© 2022 AFP