The competitive landscape of in-team rivalry has seemed to heat up where it counts this season: on the track.
The points table reflects a different story at Mercedes after years of Hamilton dominance, whilst Carlos Sainz is only 37 points behind Charles Leclerc and acting bullish when he gets a sniff, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has signalled his intentions of going for the lot.
Perez is keen to go for top points at Paul Ricard, and has declared that he is still in contention to take the Championship from team mate Max Verstappen.
After winning Monaco, Perez sat just 15 points behind last year’s F1 Champion, but has since suffered two retirements, including a DNF at Austria.
“After a tough weekend in Austria, it’s great to be back racing and have a chance to put things right,” said a driven Perez.
“We have had two DNFs in the past three races and we can’t afford that in the championships so I’m aiming to change that this weekend in France.
“I’m still in contention for the drivers’ championship, so personally it is also important not to lose any more points.”
Last time Perez raced in France, he further justified the faith Red Bull had shown in him by capturing his second podium since switching over from Racing Point (now Alpine).
“Last year I scored my second podium with the team in France, and I am very much looking forward to trying to repeat that.
“Paul Ricard is a challenging track because there are different racing lines you can take through the corners and it’s not easy to know which is the best one to use.”
Last year’s French GP winner, Verstappen, faces a stern test to go back-to-back in the southern Var region, with Ferrari gunning for a third straight victory, and to further close the gap on the 38 point championship leader.
Tyre degradation will again prove a defining factor this weekend, with soaring temperatures expected for the region amidst an unprecedented European heatwave.
