Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has clarified Charles Leclerc's concerns about the throttle following his crash from the lead at the French Grand Prix.

Leclerc was ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen when he lost the rear tyre and collided with the wall, suffering a third retirement of the season while in a leading position.

The Monegasque driver took responsibility for the incident with his post-race comments but had raised queries on the reason for the crash with remarks over the team radio, where he complained about the throttle.

Ferrari have suffered with throttle problems already this season and Leclerc's comments raised concerns they had emerged again in Sunday's race, but Binotto explained the reason for the comments from his driver.

"It was a mistake, it happens, as we have made reliability issues. I said to Charles, we make life a bit more difficult, but he's feeling better and we will enjoy more in the future," he told Sky Sports.

"It was a genuine driver error. The throttle, it was when he was in the barrier and tried to put it into reverse. 

"Without going into details, he felt that the torque of the engine was not responding to the throttle, but it was nothing to do with the mistake.

"There is always something to improve. Step by step, I think we are progressing and becoming better. Today, we've proved that we have a fast car and a very competitive one.

"We're looking now to Hungary. We can do a one-two there, why not? So we simply focus on the next result."

Ferrari also faced scrutiny behind the decision to call Carlos Sainz in for a second pit stop, with the initial radio call coming as he overtook Sergio Perez for third place, but Binotto remained adamant it was the correct call.

"We don't feel it was the right choice, we're pretty sure it was the right choice. At the time, he was short on life with wear on the tyres so it would have been really risky to go to the end," he explained.

"We don't think he would have had the pace to fight second because he had the five-second penalty. By stopping, he did the fastest lap which was certainly a point, so I think it was the safest and the right decision to take.

"I don't think it cost us a pace. If he had stayed out, I don't think he would have opened the gap to the guy behind, so we don't think he would have had sufficient time."

Lewis Hamilton dubbed a second-place finish at the French Grand Prix as a "great result" while revealing he encountered issues with his drinks bottle during the 300th Formula One race of his career.

The seven-time champion leapfrogged Red Bull's Sergio Perez at the start to take third place, then rising to second after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed out while in the lead.

It caps off another weekend of resurgence for Hamilton, who has encountered numerous problems across the 2022 season, with the podium representing his fourth in a row.

"What a great result, considering we've been so far off these guys all weekend," he said on the grid after the race.

"Reliability is one thing that my team has been amazing at, so a huge congratulations to the team back at the factory and the team here, without them we couldn't get this podium, and George [Russell] did an amazing job today as well."

Hamilton may not have had problems with the car, but he did reveal a different sort of issue during one of the hottest races of the season as his drinks bottle was broken.

"I didn't see my weight just now but I imagine [I lost] about three kilos. It's enough, I'm looking forward to downing the rest of this drink!"

Hamilton's stellar drive came on the back of what has been a disappointing build-up for Mercedes, with a new package introduced for the French Grand Prix that did not result in what the team would have expected.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff highlighted that Hamilton has remained positive throughout the variety of challenges presented this season, including the issues in France prior to Sunday's race.

"Sometimes we've been talking about what would happen if we were not winning again, how we could recover, and we had some really difficult times at the beginning of the year," he told Sky Sports.

"In a way, we've all set into the situation that we've been handed and he is absolutely on it, he keeps pushing the team, not just driving the car, he has a positive mindset.

"Even if the day is really grim, like yesterday and we are tenths off, he never stops pushing."

Staying cool and overcoming the challenge of tyre wear in the searing heat of the French Grand Prix were the keys for Max Verstappen as he took advantage of Charles Leclerc's crash to prevail. 

The defending Formula One world champion extended his lead at the top of the standings to 63 points with victory in France for the second year in a row, capitalising after Leclerc spun into the barriers while leading in the opening quarter of the race.

That allowed Verstappen to take the lead under the safety car, and he remained there throughout even though the high temperatures put the tyres under pressure and another pit stop was not possible due to the long length of the pit lane at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

"I think we had really good pace at the start, I was putting pressure on Charles but following around here with this heat, the tyres were overheating a lot, I could never really go for a move," he said on the grid after the race.

"We just tried to stay calm, tried to stay close, we pitted a bit earlier. From there onwards, you never know how the race is going to go.

"The car was quick today and it was unlucky for Charles, I hope he's ok. From there onwards, I just did my race and looked after my tyres.

"With the pit lane being so long, you couldn't do another stop but the tyres were wearing a lot. It was all about looking after the tyres until the end."

Asked whether the win felt different as Leclerc wasn't there to battle with on the track, Verstappen added: "I was just trying to get the most points possible.

"Of course, sometimes you see moves are on and then you need to back out, wait maybe for the end of the race. 

"That is what we did, there are plenty more races to come where we have to score points and, in that aspect, I think today was a great day."

Hungary is up next before F1's summer break, with the Hungaroring a track many consider to be favourable to Ferrari and Verstappen admitted improvements need to be made.

Verstappen said: "We still have a lot of work to do, over a single lap especially, so we will just keep working."

Max Verstappen extended his advantage at the top of the championship to 63 points with victory at the French Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc crashed while leading.

Leclerc's latest retirement may prove to be the final dent in his 2022 title ambitions, with Verstappen looking to be heading into clean air as he bids to win back-to-back F1 championships.

The Dutchman finished over 10 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in what turned into a routine win, while George Russell took third to secure Mercedes' first double-podium of the season.

A strong start from Hamilton saw him leapfrog Sergio Perez on the opening lap and put Verstappen under pressure, though the reigning champion defended well to remain ahead of his pursuer.

The Red Bull's advantage in straight-line speed saw Verstappen stick right on the gearbox of Leclerc in the opening 10 laps, but he was unable to make a move, with the aggressive approach potentially harming the longevity of his tyres and altering the team's plans.

Verstappen was the first of the leading pack to pit at the end of lap 16, taking hard tyres, with Leclerc staying out and appearing to be on a one-stop strategy, but there was misery for the title hopeful just two laps later.

For the third time this season, Leclerc retired while leading a grand prix, smashing into the tyre wall. A safety car was deployed as Verstappen took the lead – with Ferrari's woes increasing as Carlos Sainz was issued a five-second penalty for an unsafe release after he pitted under the safety car.

Ferrari's instability continued to be evident towards the end of lap 41 when Sainz made an overtaking move on Perez to claim third place while his team called for him to pit, which then came at the end of the following lap – serving his penalty and coming out ninth.

Russell, having collided with Perez, was unhappy he was not given the third-place position back after the stewards decided no investigation was necessary, but the Mercedes man took advantage of a slow reaction from Perez after a virtual safety car restart to snatch the final podium spot.

Au revoir Paul Ricard

Though yet to be confirmed, it is widely expected that the French Grand Prix will be removed from the calendar next year, with the 2022 race bringing the end of Formula One's contract with the Circuit Paul Ricard.

F1 owners Liberty Media have made a clear push to grow the motorsport in the United States, with the introduction of Miami and Las Vegas, while there is a continued desire to add more modern street circuits to the schedule.

That has seen the likes of the Circuit Paul Ricard, Monza, Spa and even Monaco shrouded in speculation, though there may still be an avenue for each to feature moving forward with a rotation of venues.

Perfect plan falls apart

Ahead of this weekend, Leclerc was adamant he was still in the title battle, but he admitted the team would need a 'perfect' finish to the season – which came apart at the first hurdle with another retirement.

Now well adrift of Verstappen in the championship, Leclerc's title ambitions look to be dead in the water with 10 races remaining this season, and he took full responsibility for the incident in what was far from the weekend that Ferrari wanted.

IN THE POINTS

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +10.587
3. George Russell (Mercedes) +16.495
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +17.310
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +28.872
6. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +42.879
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +52.026
8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +56.959
9. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +60.372
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +62.549

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 233
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 170
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 163
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 144
5. George Russell (Mercedes) 143

Constructors

1. Red Bull 396
2. Ferrari 314
3. Mercedes 270
4. Alpine 93
5. McLaren 89

Charles Leclerc accepted all the blame for an "unacceptable" crash at the French Grand Prix as Ferrari suffered the misery of seeing the race leader blow a chance of victory.

The 24-year-old from Monaco sent his car into a wall of tyres of Turn 11 at Circuit Paul Ricard on lap 18, having started on pole position.

He had been chasing a fourth win of the season and was set to narrow the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen.

Yet Verstappen took advantage of Leclerc's blunder to win the race and tighten his grip on first place in the drivers' standings.

A regretful Leclerc said: "I think I'm performing at the highest level of my career, but if I keep doing those mistakes then it's pointless to perform at a very high level.

"I'm losing too many points: seven in Imola, 25 here, because honestly we were probably the strongest car on track today.

"If we lost the championship by 32 points at the end of the season I will know where they are coming from, and it's unacceptable."

He said he would go away and look again at what went wrong, but Leclerc had little doubt it was all on him.

"I'll try to understand if there's nothing I don't know yet, but to me, it's a mistake," he said.

"It's just trying to push too much, and then I lost the rear. It's been a very difficult weekend for me, I struggled a lot with the balance of the car.

"When it's warm like this, it's very difficult to be consistent, and I've been [finding it] very difficult to put laps together, and I did a mistake at the wrong moment."

Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull and Ferrari "are in a league of their own" as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen prepare to battle it out once again at the French Grand Prix.

Leclerc came out on top at the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago and will start Sunday's race at Circuit Paul Ricard in pole position for the seventh time this season.

The Ferrari driver has momentum on his side, but he still trails Red Bull rival Verstappen by 38 points heading into the 12th race of 2022.

Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished third in qualifying after recovering from some flat practice showings, while Mercedes driver Hamilton was a distant fourth.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is still seeking his first win of the campaign, but that seems unlikely to arrive in his 300th grand prix on the basis of Saturday's qualifying.

"It's not that it is disheartening, but you do a lap and you are told it is 1.7 seconds off and you are like 'what?'" Hamilton said.

"And then you do a really good lap and you are 1.1 seconds off and you are like 'wow'. There is nothing I can do in my power to change that.

"Everyone is working as hard as they can. Each weekend we come with little bits to try and improve, but sometimes that doesn't make a difference and that is difficult.

"The top two teams are in their own league. I came here this weekend hoping we would be within three tenths of them, and we are a second back. 

"If it is anything like this it is going to be a while before we win, but it's not impossible."

The driver starting on pole has won the past three French GPs – Hamilton in 2018 and 2019 and Verstappen last year – though not since 1960 has it happened four times in a row.

Leclerc's 16th career pole was achieved in large thanks to a tow from team-mate Carlos Sainz, who will start at the back of the grid after a fourth engine change of the season.

Sainz provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Verstappen, but the latter does not believe the same tactic would have worked for Red Bull.

"No, because Ferrari gained only two to two-and-a-half tenths with the slipstream, Charles told me," Verstappen said. "It was also very logical that they did it.

"Obviously both me and Sergio Perez want to be in the best position possible. That's why I don't think we're doing that sort of thing. Neither of us had a grid penalty, either.

"It also seems logical to me. We are both still fighting for the title, so it is difficult to explain. It is up to Ferrari if they want to do that, but within our team we haven't talked about it."

Should Verstappen and Perez earn at least 12 points on Sunday, Red Bull will join Ferrari (9,015) and Mercedes (6,535.50) as the third team ever to reach the 6,000 points mark.

Perez has placed in the top two in six of the past seven finished races, two times more than his previous 186, and the Mexican is delighted with his starting position.

"It's been a good recovery. I've been nowhere the whole weekend. To be honest, I've been struggling a lot," he said.

"I think it's probably been my worst weekend up to qualifying, really, and finally we managed to recover well. Now we will try to beat those red cars. They were very strong today."

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has bemoaned the disappointing upgrade package introduced for the French Grand Prix, with a clear verdict that it is "not good enough".

A frustrating weekend so far for Mercedes has seen them struggle to find their best approach, despite optimism about an upgrade package that has been introduced for the 12th round of the 2022 season.

Both Hamilton and Russell looked to be in danger of elimination in Q2 but pushed through on their final laps, following the introduction of fresh tyres, though neither showed enough to be much of a threat to the front row and Wolff was disappointed by the showing.

"We knew that once we got the new tyres on and were driving in anger a little bit that we were going to be a third force, like we have been all season, but it's just not good enough," he told Sky Sports.

"You can see when you're a little bit on the back foot, your expectations are on a certain level for the race weekend and then it doesn't come together, the freestyling starts.

Charles Leclerc was full of praise for Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz after he provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Max Verstappen for pole position in the French Grand Prix.

Sainz, who starts at the back of the grid following a fourth engine change of the season, looked to be the quickest throughout qualifying before switching his approach in Q3 to help Leclerc finish ahead of his title rival.

It secures Leclerc's seventh pole of the season and the 16th of his career as he looks to rejuvenate his title bid following difficulties in recent races, and he was clear it would have been a harder task without Sainz.

"I struggled all weekend to put a lap together, but I managed to do it. I have to say, I also had the help of Carlos and that was amazing teamwork," he said on the grid.

"Without Carlos it would have been much more close so a huge thank you to Carlos and I hope that he can join us in the fight for the win tomorrow. 

"The car feels good but it's difficult to understand what the Red Bull guys have done yesterday, as there was loads of difference in terms of lap times, so let's see how it goes tomorrow."

Verstappen looked to be in fine form with the Red Bull ace showing great pace throughout the free practice sessions, but he couldn't quite put it together in qualifying and sits behind Leclerc at the start – the sixth time in 2022 the pair have been on the front row together.

"Overall, I think we were lacking a bit in qualifying, just with general grip. It was a bit more tricky than I would have hoped but we still have a decent race car," Verstappen said.

"Hopefully, tomorrow will come to our favour. We're quick on the straights, so hopefully we can use that tomorrow. It's going to be a bit warmer. Clearly, Ferrari have been very quick again."

Sergio Perez will start third, bouncing back after struggling to find pace in the practice sessions, and admitted it had been a difficult few days.

"It's been a good recovery over the whole weekend, I have been struggling a lot, I think it has been my worst weekend up to qualifying really but we managed to recover well," he said.

Perez sits ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who will start fourth, which means Mercedes' wait for a top-three start on the grid continues, with it already being their longest stint into a F1 season without one.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:30:872
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.304
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.463
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.893
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.160
6. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.259
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.680
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +1.908
9. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) No Time
10. Kevin Magnusson (Haas) No Time

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been penalised for excessive engine usage, meaning he will start the French Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

Sainz sits in fourth place in the drivers' championship, and finished the final practice in second place. 

However, he will now start Sunday's race from the back after Ferrari took their fourth new engine of the season, one more than is permitted.

This penalty has been added on to the 10-place sanction that he had been given for the new electronics control unit that Ferrari opted for on Friday.

He will be joined at the back of the grid by Kevin Magnussen of Haas, who was penalised for changing power unit components.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fastest in the final practice, with the reigning champion clear of Sainz's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished third quickest.

Lando Norris believes McLaren's porpoising ahead of the French Grand Prix is a positive, stating it shows the team are heading in the right direction.

McLaren have been unable to keep pace with the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes so far this season, sitting joint-fourth in the Constructor's Championship alongside Alpine with 81 points.

Meanwhile, Norris sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship after a difficult campaign that has seen just one podium finish, coming at Imola in April, and has finished outside the top five in every race since.

McLaren have introduced a new aero package for the French Grand Prix and, while it has resulted in porpoising, Norris believes that is a sign that things are on the right track.

"It felt like I had a decent amount. The last few races we've had quite a bit at times, Silverstone we had a lot as well, so I'm not surprised. Not a shock," he said.

"Yeah, I'm hoping it's kind of a good thing that, if we can improve the car, sometimes that promotes porpoising.

"Apart from Red Bull, it seems like it's what Ferrari and Mercedes have had a lot of, and they are obviously a lot quicker than us.

"But I think, as we're trying to improve the car, sometimes we expose this phenomenon and yeah, it's maybe not a bad thing. Sometimes it means you're heading in the right direction."

Norris was sixth-fastest in FP2 on Friday, ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with both running the new aero package for the second session after the Australian also ran it in FP1 – and Norris admitted the car felt 'different' to drive.

"Just different, I wouldn't say trickier. It's just the feeling you get behind the wheel, you're so sensitive, you get so used to things," he explained.

"As soon as something feels just a little bit off, you have to figure out why that's happening and what it's doing, what the reasoning is for it, and then how to overcome it and maximise it again.

"So I guess I'm playing a little bit of catch-up and just trying to understand all of that, comparing to Daniel, but at the same time, it's been good we've been able to compare data easily today, because we chose that strategy of me not having it, him having it."

Carlos Sainz will take a 10-place grid penalty for the French Grand Prix after changing an engine component at Le Castellet.

Sainz saw his hopes of a second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix last time out literally go up in flames as an engine failure denied him a seventh podium of the campaign.

And regardless of where he qualifies at Circuit Paul Ricard, Sainz will have a difficult challenge to get on the rostrum this weekend.

Ferrari gave Sainz's car a new control electronics element, incurring a penalty that ensures he will definitely start outside the top 10.

Sainz could yet receive further penalties if Ferrari decide to change further parts of the Spaniard's engine.

He ended Friday's first practice session in third place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc and championship leader Max Verstappen, FP1 hinting at another tight battle between Red Bull and Ferrari as under half a second separated the top three.

Lewis Hamilton is confident he will be in the mix for a first win of the season at Sunday's French Grand Prix, claiming Mercedes' struggles will make their next victory all the more satisfying.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton sits sixth in the 2022 drivers' standings, having failed to post a race win since losing the 2021 title to Max Verstappen in contentious circumstances.

The Mercedes star has been in improved form of late, however, recording three successive podiums after a run of seven outings without a top-three finish.

Having been badly affected by issues with the Silver Arrows' W13 car earlier this season, the 37-year-old is hopeful of a landmark success at Le Castellet on Sunday, in what will be his 300th Formula One race.

Asked if he had a realistic chance of victory in France, Hamilton said: "I hope so, that's what we're all working towards.

"I'm working towards getting that win so I do believe at some stage we will be able to compete with these guys, whether it's this weekend or in five races' time. The journey is the important part.

"I think we started off not where we wanted to be. We've made progress, and we've started to hit a patch of consistency. I'm really proud of the process. We've sharpened our tools in other areas, so when we do get back to where we deserve to be, I think we'll appreciate it that much more."

Hamilton has named Fernando Alonso as the toughest opponent of his career to date, as he professed his hope the 40-year-old, who has put together a run of six successive top-10 finishes with Alpine, will continue in Formula One for years to come.

"I think it's difficult to say who has necessarily been the strongest competitor because every time you're with someone, you're in a different place in your life," Hamilton said.

"I remember the task of being alongside Fernando when I was 22. I was so young mentally and, of course, OK in terms of skill, but it's a lot of pressure to go up against a great like Fernando.

"I would say on pure pace, Fernando [is the toughest]. We had some good battles.

"I wish we could have more. Hopefully he will continue to race, so hopefully we'll have more in the future."

Sebastian Vettel has dismissed speculation linking him with a move to McLaren as "just rumours" as his "clear intention" is to stay with Aston Martin.

Four-time world champion Vettel's contract expires at the end of this season.

With McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo enduring a difficult year, posting just three top-10 finishes to sit 12th in the drivers' standings, there has been talk he could leave the sport, with Vettel touted as a potential replacement.

When asked about Vettel's future last month, Aston Martin boss Mike Krack said: "We were always clear that if he wants to continue, we would like him to stay."

Speaking ahead of the French Grand Prix, the German says there is nothing in talk that he could be on his way to McLaren.

He said: "I think Lando [Norris] has a contract… No, I obviously know some people there, but I think it's just rumours."

The 35-year-old hopes to come to an agreement with Aston Martin before long.

He added: "Well, I'm racing this weekend, and the next one. Then yeah, obviously I've said that at some point, we will start to talk.

"I'm talking to the team; I think there is a clear intention to keep going. We'll see soon where we stand."

Michael Schumacher still enjoys following Formula One races and watches the sport at home alongside Jean Todt, the former Ferrari boss has revealed.

Seven-time world champion Schumacher suffered a skiing accident in December 2013 that left him with a serious brain injury.

The 53-year-old was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident in Meribel, France, before he was moved to the family home in Geneva the following year to be cared for by medical staff and his wife.

Schumacher has not been seen publicly since, though Todt still meets with his former Ferrari colleague, having teamed up with the German as he won five world titles between 2000 and 2004.

The pair continue to enjoy F1 together, with Schumacher watching on as his son Mick competes in his second season for Haas.

"I don't miss Michael, I see him," Todt told German broadcaster RTL after collecting the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia for Schumacher, alongside the former driver's wife Corinna and daughter Gina.

"Yes, it's true, I watch Grands Prix with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.

"If it was emotional for you, you can imagine how emotional it was for me [collecting the award]. Emotional, but at the same time a great pride to be able to talk about Michael.

"You have people around you who are just special. And in a way, Michael is also very special. Corinna, Mick and Gina have also become special to me. They have all become family to me, to my wife and to my son."

Fernando Alonso believes Formula One's growing popularity has led to a dwindling appreciation of drivers from past eras, claiming many new fans "don't know much" about the sport.

Having raced in other categories at the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500, the two-time F1 champion made a stellar return to the series in 2021, after relinquishing his seat with McLaren at the end of the 2018 season.

The 40-year-old has showed no signs of slowing down in literal and figurative terms, currently sitting 10th in the drivers' standings in a middling Alpine and matching team-mate Esteban Ocon for pace.

Alonso believes that despite his own quality as a racer, he and other drivers have faced negative consequences from F1's Netflix-fuelled influx of new fans.

"I think the perception from the outside or the feeling towards me, has changed, from time to time," he told The Race. "And in 2007 [the year after his second F1 title], maybe people had a perception of what I was as a driver or as a person."

He suggested that changed when he had a five-season spell at Ferrari from 2010 to 2014.

"Now I think that the fans that we have now, there are new fans and in a way – and I don't want to lack respect to them – but they don't know much about Formula 1," said Alonso.

"They just are more like a football kind of fan, where they just follow the results, whoever is winning does the best. And whoever is last is not Formula 1 level.

"They don't understand much about car performance and the package that you need. So you are on more of a rollercoaster kind of feeling, of perception, of what the people feel about you."

Alonso has been unfortunate not to pick up a bigger haul of points in recent outings, with a double stop in Austria arguably costing him a second straight top-five finish.

He did, however, concede his front-row position in the wet in Canada was significant in the context of his return and changing minds.

"It meant a lot because when you decide to come back, you need to put away a few things in life – family, friends again – and have full dedication for the job you do, travelling, the physical aspect, the mental aspect, everything and the pressure that you feel in your shoulders," he said.

"Because you are Fernando Alonso, and everyone will look at you if you are doing well."