Valtteri Bottas Mercedes ended the opening day's running at Paul Ricard in control ahead of Sunday's Formula 1 French Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were almost inseparable in the opening session before the pair swapped positions in the day's second session. Third fastest on both occasions was Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver six tenths slower than Bottas in the afternoon and two tenths slower than Hamilton. That deficit came despite the Ferrari driver using the fastest soft compound tyres, highlighting the both single lap and long run pace advantage Mercedes appears to hold. Equally telling was the gap between Leclerc and the lead Mercedes, which increased by almost...
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