How To Master France in F1 22 – Complete France Track Guide

The French Grand Prix is happening this weekend (at the time of writing). So today I’m going to be looking at a track guide to help you master Paul Ricard in F1 22.

I’m going to take a detailed look at every corner around Paul Ricard. I’ll show you where to place your car, when to start braking and what gear to be in. All of these tips should help you master this tricky French circuit in F1 22.

Watch the full French track guide video

Turn 1

Exiting out of the last corner, before you start your qualifying run or your hot lap, you’ll want to short shift as you accelerate. You’ll be in second gear on the exit of turn 15. Quickly upshift as you try to get to full throttle as soon as you can.

You’ll then want to drift over to the right hand side of the track on the approach to turn 1.

To spot your braking zone into turn 1 you’ll want to look out for a section of track which sits in between two kerbs on the right hand side. This is right around the 100 meter board on the left hand side.

You can drift over this outside piece of track to widen the corner, and brake hard just before you reach the second kerb on the right hand side.

You’ll want to shift down to fourth gear, and turn in earlier than you think. The apex to turn 1 is partially blind so you’ll be looking for the small yellow bollard on the inside.

Get as close to this bollard as you can, using some of the inside kerb.

As you exit turn 1, you’ll want to be on the power early, and shift your attention to the right hand apex of turn 2.

Turn 2

You can accelerate hard out of turn 1, quickly shifting up to fifth gear. You may need a slight lift as you get towards the apex of turn 2, as the bump in the road can unsettle your car and cause a spin.

Use all of the inside kerb of turn 2, and then straighten your car using the entire width of the track on the left hand side.

Now you can be full throttle all the way down to turn 3. This can be an overtaking spot in the race if you get a particularly good exit out of T2.

Turn 3

Keep your car to the left hand side on the approach to turn 3, with your left hand wheels over the edge of the track. You’ll be braking right before the 50 meter board from eighth gear.

Almost as soon as you start braking, start to turn the car towards the inside kerb. This corner is incredibly fast, and you need to attack it hard and carry speed through into turn 4.

Use all of the inside kerb once again to keep the car as straight as possible. You can accelerate through turn 3, just before you have to start braking again for turn 4.

Turn 4

You will want to trail brake into turn 4, shifting down to third gear. Look to ride right over the inside kerb to minimise the corner angle, while applying some throttle.

Try to position your car on the far left hand side just before you start braking into the next right hand corner.

Turn 5

There aren’t really any brake marker for turn 5, but you should look to brake almost as soon as your car is pointing straight after turn 4.

Keep the car straight while braking while you initially drift away from the corner apex. Then start to lift off the brake and trail brake into the tight turn 5.

I like to shift down to second gear to get a bit more rotation into the turn, but you can take it in third gear if you have a good front end.

Try not to clip the inside kerb as this will throw you off line. Instead, get close and look to apply throttle before the apex.

Gradually apply the throttle as you quickly shift up to third and fourth gear. You should be able to achieve full throttle just before having to lift for turn 6.

Turn 6

Turn 6 is a long right hander that teases you into applying more throttle. You will only want around 50-70% throttle as you round the first part of the corner, keeping a tight line.

As soon as the corner starts to open up, you can release some steering input, start to drift out wide and look to apply full throttle.

This corner can easily catch you out if you accelerate too hard too early, so be wary, especially in wet conditions or if you’re on worn tyres.

Bring the car back to the right hand side just before the full throttle corner of turn 7.

Turn 7

You will want to minimise your steering input as you enter turn 7 by keeping the widest entry line you can.

Look to place your car over the inside kerb before drifting back out wide. You can then look to focus on activating your overtake ERS or DRS if you’re following another car.

This long straight is the perfect opportunity to make any car adjustments in your MFD or talk to your engineer to get updates throughout a race.

Turn 8

On the approach to turn 8, you will want to keep your car on the right hand side and look for an adjoining piece of track off to the right. This sits just after the 100 meter board, and is your cue to hit the brakes.

Much like turn 1, you should position your car over this piece of track and brake just before the second kerb on the right hand side.

Brake hard and in a straight line, before trail braking into turn 8. You should look to be in fourth gear and carry some good speed through the apex while accelerating into the slower turn 9.

Turn 9

Straighten the car out of turn 8 just before dabbing the brakes into the next right-hander. You should shift down to third gear for the apex of turn 9, and try not to take too much inside kerb. This kerb is raised and can disrupt your corner exit which is important as there is a fast straight that follows.

Start applying the throttle as you round the apex, and aim to straighten your car. You can take some inside kerb on the left hand side to get the straightest line, although too much kerb can affect your stability and traction.

Turn 10

Out of turn 9, keep your car on the left hand side of the track while accelerating through the gears. Turn 10 is a flat right hander. It is a relatively easy corner, but you need to be smooth with your steering and ensure you hit the apex, otherwise you can run off track on the exit.

Widen your line on the approach by using the outside kerb before turning in, and use a lot of the inside kerb while just missing the yellow bollard. Drift back out wide ready for the next corner.

Turn 11

Turn 11 is one of the trickier corners to get right around Paul Ricard. It is similar in approach to the first two corners around Suzuka, and requires a unique racing line.

You should start by turning in towards the first apex while at full throttle. Hit the brakes as your front right wheel gets close to the apex, but try not to use too much brake. This can lock your wheel and send you off track.

Modulate your brake pressure as you drift out wide and shift down to fifth gear. You should now be on the left part of the track while trying to carry speed.

I like to shift down to fourth gear to get a little more rotation before I start to apply throttle pressure. You can accelerate quite hard towards the second apex while shifting back up to fifth gear just before you hit the inside kerb.

Take a lot of kerb here on the inside and drift back across track while continuing to accelerate hard.

Turn 12

Turn 12 is also tricky. Start by drifting out very wide on the right hand side. You can look to start braking just before the second inside kerb on the left.

Keep your car out wide while braking, whilst applying some steering input to follow the bend of the corner.

You should trail off the brakes while shifting down to third gear before you take a late apex. Try to avoid the inside kerb as it is raised and will compromise your exit.

Modulate your throttle pressure as you round the apex, and use as much of the outside kerb as you need to keep the car straight and accelerate hard.

Turn 13

Turn 13 is flat out, and is all about positioning your car ready for turn 14. Try not to ride the kerb too much once you’re at full throttle. Instead, keep your car pinned next to the inside kerb for the shortest line.

Turn 14

Turn 14 is without a doubt the hardest corner to master around France in F1 22. It has a very late apex, and you can gain or lose a lot of speed here.

Look for the 50-meter board to start applying the brakes, while drifting across from the right hand side of the track to the left.

You’ll want to keep your line pretty tight otherwise other cars can take the opportunity to dive down the inside of you.

Brake while applying a small amount of steering input to keep a tight line. Shift down to fourth gear whilst following the flow of the corner.

Start to accelerate just as you cross the DRS activation line and then ride over the inside kerb whilst accelerating just after the safety car line.

You can take a lot of kerb here to try and keep your car on the left-hand side for the slow final corner.

Turn 15

Turn 15 is one of the slowest on the track and is important to get right. Keep your car on the left of the track while decelerating down to just second gear.

Again there aren’t any real brake reference points here, so brake just as you straighten your car out of turn 14.

Keep your car straight while braking, and look to just clip the inside kerb. This is another raised kerb that can disrupt your car so avoid it.

Then straighten your car whilst also avoiding the outside raised kerb. Short shift into third and fourth and then focus on the DRS line which comes pretty early.

If you’re on a hot lap or a qualifying lap keep your car on the left hand side of the track for the shortest run to the line.

Overview

And that rounds out a lap of Paul Ricard in F1 22. This track is unusual in places, with a fair few corners requiring late apexes or strange racing lines.

It also isn’t helped by the distinct lack of grass or gravel around the track to define the race track. You have to be on full alert throughout a race around France, as you can easily miss your braking points and corner entry completely in some places.

A few key areas to look out for are the tricky corner exits out of turns 2 and 6. Both of these corners can cause you to spin if you apply too much throttle too early.

Also practice your line through turns 11, 12 and 14. These corners in the final sector are often the place where drivers lose the most amount of time due to the unusual racing line.

F1 22 France race setup

If you want to see our best race setup for your car, you can see our best France F1 22 setup here.

That setup will give you the best platform to perform well during a race in My Team or your career mode.

---