Event: French F1 Grand Prix
Track: Paul Ricard Circuit

2021 French Grand Prix Race Results

Race winner Max Verstappen celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of France at Circuit Paul Ricard on June 20

Weather: dry  24.1°C
Tarmac: dry  33.8°C
Humidity : 68.0%
Wind : 1.1 m/s SE
Pressure: 961.0 bar

Max Verstappen won his 13th F1 race at the 2021 French F1 GP today. He started from pole and won on the Paul Ricard circuit for the first time. It was his 3rd win of the season. The Red Bull Racing team scored their 68th race win.

2021 French F1 GP Race Report

All cars got away clean from the start. Max Verstappen made small error in turn one and could make the corner. The Red Bull driver lost P1 to Lewis Hamilton and was able to hang on to P2.

The pitstops started in Lap 15. Charles Leclerc was the first to do his pitstop in the Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas who drove on P3 pitted in lap 17 for hard tyres. Max Verstappen did the same one lap later. It took 2.3s for the Red Bull team, while Mercedes did it in 2.5s for Bottas.

Race leader Lewis Hamilton tipped at the end of lap 19 for fresh tyres. The Mercedes team did a very good stop of only 2.2s. When Hamilton came out the pits he was just ahead of the Red Bull of Verstappen, but the Dutchman had a great out lap and took over the lead in turn 1.

Hamilton's engineer told him on the radio he didn't know what happened and Verstappen wasn't able to extend his gap towards Verstappen after a few laps. The teammate of the Dutchman Sergio Perez was leading the race now.

Verstappen and Hamilton were giving it all and both title rivals had some stressful radio conversations with their team to help them. Both Mercedes drivers pushed all they could behind Verstappen, but they were not able to overtake Verstappen. At the end of lap 33 Red Bull Racing decided to do an extra pitstop and switch from hard to medium tyres. Verstappen returned to the track on P4, while Perez still was leading the race and did his first pitstop one lap later.

10 laps before the end Verstappen had passed Bottas for P2 and was now chasing down Hamilton for the win. Bottas' tyres were finished at lap 46 and the Finn was only 1.3s behind him trying to get onto the podium.

Wit 5 laps to go the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen was 3.5s and Verstappen seemed to have had the best of the tyres. Hamilton also was having a hard time on his warn-out set of hard tyres.

Perez passed Bottas for P3 in lap 49. Verstappen was going for it and with 3 laps to go the Red Bull driver was only 1.9s behind Hamilton's Mercedes. On lap 52 Verstappen was behind him in the DRS-zone passed Hamilton at the Mistral chicane for the lead and drove away.

2021 French F1 GP Results
FP1 2021 French F1 GP
FP2 2021 French F1 GP
FP3 2021 French F1 GP
Quali 2021 French F1 GP
Start grid 2021 French GP

✅ Check out F1 Standings 2021 Championship
✅ Check out F1 2021 Calendar

✅ Check out All Time F1 Drivers Rankings
✅ Check out All Time F1 Driver Records
✅ Check out All Time F1 Teams Ranking

 

Classification 2021 French F1 GP

PNoDriverTeamTimeLapsGridPts
133Netherlands Max Verstappen
Austria Red Bull01:27:25.77053
1
26
244United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton
Germany Mercedes01:27:28.67453
2
18
311Mexico Sergio Pérez
Austria Red Bull01:27:34.58153
4
15
477Finland Valtteri Bottas
Germany Mercedes01:27:40.38853
3
12
54United Kingdom Lando Norris
United Kingdom McLaren01:28:29.80253
7
10
63Australia Daniel Ricciardo
United Kingdom McLaren01:28:41.62753
10
8
710France Pierre Gasly
Italy AlphaTauri01:28:42.36653
6
6
814Spain Fernando Alonso
France Alpine01:28:43.46553
9
4
95Germany Sebastian Vettel
United Kingdom Aston Martin01:28:45.43653
12
2
1018Canada Lance Stroll
United Kingdom Aston Martin01:28:57.71653
19
1
1155Spain Carlos Sainz
Italy Ferrari01:29:05.10753
5
0
1263United Kingdom George Russell
United Kingdom Williams01:27:33.81952
14
0
1322Japan Yuki Tsunoda
Italy AlphaTauri01:27:38.14152
20
0
1431France Esteban Ocon
France Alpine01:27:38.88752
11
0
1599Italy Antonio Giovinazzi
Switzerland Alfa Romeo01:27:43.36652
13
0
1616Monaco Charles Leclerc
Italy Ferrari01:27:46.64452
7
0
177Finland Kimi Räikkönen
Switzerland Alfa Romeo01:27:48.45452
17
0
186Canada Nicholas Latifi
United Kingdom Williams01:27:49.22152
16
0
1947Germany Mick Schumacher
United States Haas01:28:19.90752
15
0
209Russian Federation Nikita Mazepin
United States Haas01:28:34.00252
18
0

Fastest lap: 1:36.404 min by Max Verstappen in the Red Bull RB16 no. 33 in lap 35


✅ Check out more posts with related topics:

30 F1 Fan comments on “2021 French Grand Prix Race Results

  1. Jax

    Good strategy and racing by Max and the Bulls; well earned. Merc clearly needs a mule' s kick up their ass and Bottas is as expected; no consistent race pace hence relatively useless. Hyped Chassis rubbish put to rest. At least in the minds of sensible folks anyway!
    Hammer clearly did his best given the flawed strategy by Merc so hats off to the GOAT for salvaging what he could by managing those tyres. A Bahrain style repeat wasn't to be.

    Reply
    • ReallyOldRacer

      Jaxman, your hero did a solid job to hold position considering MB's absolutely horrible race strategy. Your BOTbash is ridiculous. He should have been put on a 2 stop strategy as he requested and then, failing that, should have been brought in for tires and collected fastest lap. All in all, a horrible race strategy. I'm thinking that your friend Toto let you call the race. True?

      Reply
  2. shroppyfly

    I think VB radio says it all FFS i told you guys we should have 2 stopped,Max owned thar race from lap 1, Hammy can smile all he wants and Torger can bluff the interviews post race , but as DC said should have split the strategy early on but the pressures on for MB.

    That new Honda engine is a rocketship too roll on Austria, proper Max territory

    Reply
    • ReallyOldRacer

      Simple really, Honda has found a way to circumvent the rules. For 5 years they suck, and now in their final season they are a rocket ship? Hmmm.

      Reply
      • shroppyfly

        The rocketship comment was especially for Jax lol,

        interestingly this forum is relatively polite about posters and drivers, there's one i visit and Hamster and Torger are getting bashed hard, as are the Jaxsters there, nice to know we here are a polite lot here

        Reply
  3. ReallyOldRacer

    RB called a good race and VER did well with the strategy but the Driver of the Day was ABSOLUTELY Perez. He beat the MB on the same tire strategy and deserves kudos.

    Reply
      • ReallyOldRacer

        If following the strategists direction earns DOD, then you are correct. If race performance matters, PER, NOR, RIC, VET and even STR deserve consideration. Blowing the pole in the first corner and getting bailed out by a great strategy call and MB making a bollocks of the race do not make you DOD.

        Reply
        • JJ75

          Ahem..Max held off 2 MB's.. Lewis had drs multiple times, had the same opportunity's to overtake? With the greatest of respect my memory of the race was Max overtaking Lewis physically and not the strategiests...Yes the first corner was a disaster but he controlled the car beautifully, it could have ended his race if he hit the bollards? He deserved the win, Perez was outstanding also, he managed his tyres and earned his place on the podium..This is the first time RB made a bold strategy move with Max, they usually just follow MB or don't respond at all..it paid off..and it it adds a challenge to this year's championship rather than watching one team sailing into the distance and sucking the atmosphere dry..I know what I'd rather watch..

          Reply
    • shroppyfly

      Red Bulls new Job advert.

      Wanted staff for exciting new venture, please note, We are not accepting applications from Race strategy engineers who look English but can speak German
      We would also particularly like to see applications from experienced Bull..iters
      Benefits include as much rubbish fizzy drink as you want and the occasional bottle of free tequila.

      Reply
  4. Jax

    I see you have a fondness for coddling Bottas Old fella. I don't! This is a sport but also a business. And while Merc mucked up as I acknowledged, it doesn't absolve Bot from the fact he could've done a better job with the so called better chassis at race pace and managing his tyres. Hence both Bulls would likely not have dispatched him so quickly. Unlike Hammer, Bot doesn't make his team feel guilty when they muck up because his race pace in not encouraging. He's been around long enough to be doing better.
    And as to that extra point, he's not in championship contention anymore so no enthusiasm for pitting to get it.
    Harsh? Yes.

    Reply
    • ReallyOldRacer

      C'mon Jax, get in the game. Opinions about drivers are one thing but that extra point would have been taken from...drum roll...VER. See the benefit? BTW, your hero didn't exactly hold the fort in the final laps. I'm adding something to your facts and data homework.....objectivity. smh and lol

      Reply
  5. shroppyfly

    VB didnt need the so called better chassis in Monaco to make Lulu look silly did he, thats funny i seem to remember Lucy blaming his team in a post race interview recently, Jax stop drinking its clouding your judgement

    Reply
  6. Jax

    C'mon Old guy. Given Bottas poor pace compared to Max not likely he would've gotten that point even with lower fuel load, and it would benefit Hammer, not him, as he again, is no longer in the running. That ship has sailed. Plus he's pissed at the strategy so what would be his incentive to comply with that pit stop? Does this compute Old friend?
    And your last point is laughably moot as that's no fault of the Hammer. No other driver could've done better in his scenario.

    Reply
    • ReallyOldRacer

      F1 is not tennis, my friend. It is a TEAM sport, Jaxo. What part of that do you not understand? That WCC point might count later. You really need to quiet down and do your suggested homework. BTW, did you hear Toto's post race interview? He admitted that their strategy call re BOT was flawed.

      Reply
  7. shroppyfly

    Jax i dont think Lulu was overly happy with the strategy from his radio , every point is important to the team for WCC and team bonuses, thats a silly remark Jax

    Reply
  8. Jax

    "And while Merc mucked up as I acknowledged, it doesn't absolve Bot from the fact he could've done a better job with the so called better chassis at race pace and managing his tyres". Where in this quote did I say Merc wasn't at fault? You two seem to lack comprehension. Pinky and The Brain. 😄

    Reply
    • ReallyOldRacer

      "Pinky and The Brain"

      Who is whom? I got the syntax right...can I be the brain? Now be a good lad and go do your homework assignment. Bye for now. We old folks need our rest.

      Reply
  9. shroppyfly

    Jax , stick to Taxi driving, f1 isn't for you, MB are in bits , first lulu messes it up, then the strategists, , not to mention Torger playing the bottas blame game, and his silly contract jokes, Lucy will be better off not being part of MB in 2022 .

    Mucked it up .. ! , what a delightful simple way of saying RB are doing us up like a kipper at the moment

    Reply
  10. ReallyOldRacer

    Final thought. Paul Ricard was a good race, IMO best since they sanitized the track. No DNF's, good racing and result in doubt until the last few laps. 16 more like it and you Euro/Brits will have spent your money wisely on pay-per-view. I hate to part company with Jaxman, but with only 4 rounds remaining I am beginning to doubt my HAM by +30 by the break call. Don't hate me Jaxoto.

    Reply
  11. Jax

    Pinky....I mean Fly, I know you and your partner fantasize about Sir Lewis leaving F1 to the point of nonsensically buying into the belief that signing a one year contract meant he would exit this year. Be of careful of flawed interpretations and delusions of grandeur son. F1 is a game of strategy, not blind wishful thinking!

    Reply
  12. shroppyfly

    And how did MB strategy work out this weekend for them? the trouble is as RoR points out they've had to real competition for the hybrid era, that's fine but as much as they make out we are humble , we are always looking to improve blah blah as if none of the other teams are that as well, they've this yes delusion(and its a normal human trait, you get cocky , over confident) that they will always be the best,anyway back to my point, this year with a small change in regs they've been caught sleeping, probably in the back of a JaxTax if truth be known, and yes resources put onto the 22 car, but again ,but so has every team, as for delusions of Grandeur, I think that's it, theyve under estimated RB the redbulls this time, Lulus final year, Suzie badgering Torger that hes never there to keep her happy, etc

    Torger is beginning to remind me a bit of Ron Dennis when he was under pressure at the end of the Honda debacle, trying to bluff his way through answers, losses, humiliation and finally embarrassment

    Has anyone seen the rumour that end of the year MB will sell there 33% to Ineos and exit as a works team, i've seen it floating about on other forums, if they do manage to win this year, what better time to exit than then

    That enough wishful thinking for you Jax

    Reply

What's your F1 fan opinion?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please follow our commenting guidelines.