Long and relatively flat, the Circuit Paul Ricard is known as a track that offers a bit of everything, in terms of turns, which is why it is used by many teams as a test track during the off-season. The combination of high, medium and low speed corners, along with the wonderful weather due to its altitude (which ranges from 1,339 feet to 1,447 above sea level) has made it the must-do circuit in winter.

The two signatures of the track are the long straight line (known as “Mistral”) and its “blue” and “red” clearances. Over the years, the Mistral has been shortened from 1.1 miles to the current 0.62, and some of the more severe high-speed curves have been eliminated. There are 13 corners along the 3.6 mile circuit and there will only be two DRS zones for this race.

How to watch the Lenovo Grand Prix of France

• Date: Sunday July 24
• Location: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, Var, France
• Time: 9 a.m. ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Flow: fuboTV (try for free)

To monitor

High-speed, high-g corners, such as Signes and the Beausset corner, make this a challenging track for drivers. The first DRS zone, from the exit of Turn 7 to the entry to Turn 8, and the second and last, from the exit of Turn 14 to the entry of Turn 1, should also prove interesting.

This track is great for tires, so tire wear won’t be an issue. Obviously this all depends on the compounds that Pirelli brings to the Paul Ricard, and if the soft “reds” turn out to be super soft, then the teams will opt more for the mediums and even the hard ones for the long pitting, because it is possible to win this race using a one stop strategy.

On the back foot

Red Bull Race: Maybe a bit harsh to put RBR in this category, especially with Max Verstappen finishing second in Austria, but that goes beyond Verstappen’s arrival. Red Bull never seemed to find their rhythm during the race. For the first time this season, it looked like Ferrari had gotten ahead of them on strategy in Austria. The likelihood of this continuing is slim to none: every time Red Bull Racing looked down one race, they bounced back even stronger the next. Expect Verstappen to lead Leclerc to Paul Ricard, or be right on his back wing.

Run in place

McLaren: They fall into this category only because of the controversy over what is happening with Daniel Ricciardo and his seat. Alex Palou’s problem at the IndyCar series highlights that McLaren may be looking to move on from Ricciardo, who finished ninth last time out in one of his best races for McLaren, and it could be that the only way Palou ends up leaving Chip Ganassi Racing is for an F1 ride with McLaren.

Best foot forward

Alpine: A fifth for Esteban Ocon in Austria, coupled with a 10th from Fernando Alonso, kept the team’s momentum going. They may not be ready to fight for the podiums yet, but they are heading in the right direction.

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc got exactly the race he wanted and needed in Austria. Not only did he win, he did it in imperious fashion by passing Max Verstappen, and more than once, for the lead. Admittedly, Leclerc was on fresh rubber and Verstappen on worn shoes, but that’s not the point. Leclerc confirmed he was Ferrari’s best hope in silverware on race day and at the end of the season. Engine failure prevented Carlos Sainz Jr. from challenging, but when things were going well in Austria, they were going great. Ferrari can take an engine penalty in France on Sainz, which means a start at the back of the field could be likely, but he has shown he can carve the turkeys in front of him with the best of them.

Mercedes: A trio of podiums (Canada, Great Britain, Austria) filled the sails of Lewis Hamilton. Combined with what has been a very steady and heady campaign so far from George Russell, and there’s no reason to think Mercedes will slow down anytime soon. It looks like they salvaged their season, but the jury is still out on whether they’re ready to compete for race wins rather than something unusual or unfortunate happening to the Bulls and Scuderia.