A big hello to anyone who is just joining us from the football. Which includes Lewis Hamilton, if his pre-race comments were anything to go by.

Hamilton said this week that he would try to watch England v Panama. If he did, he'll be in a very good mood now...

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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

After another terrible qualifying session by Kimi Raikkonen - mistake-strewn in the top 10 shootout as he is so often these days that it has become a standing joke in the paddock - the Red Bulls have split the Ferraris on the grid.

Daniel Ricciardo, the slower of the two, was ruing ending up with a higher downforce set-up than Max Verstappen.

This, the function of the team splitting their options on Friday to judge the efficacy of both, and then the rain on Saturday which prevented the Australian from getting a taste of the lower downforce set-up, and so preferring to stick with what he knew.

Ricciardo said that he struggled for balance - with too much understeer - and was also slow on the straights. Understeer is good for a race set-up - it limits the transition to oversteer over a stint as the rears wear. But low top speed is not.

“On paper we’re going to be pretty slow on the straight compared to the guys in front,” Ricciardo said. “But if it rains then we might be the lucky dogs.”

Online only commentary today - because the World Cup and the cricket is taking up our radio outlets - but you can listen to Jack Nicholls, Jolyon Palmer and Jennie Gow now by refreshing your browser and clicking the icon at the top of the page.

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Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo is hoping for rain. He says: "I'm kind of liking the look of these clouds, it could play into our hands. If that happens my race could be with any of the top five."

On three races in a row, he says: "Our year is so busy anyway, we are going to survive. It is about being smart and concerning energy and try to sleep when you can."

David Hayles: My fav race at Paul Ricard was 1985. Piquet's Brabham had done nothing all season, but the long straight and power circuit meant the BMW turbo was in it's element. Qualified 5th, 3rd at first corner, then picked off Senna & Rosberg. Ironically, Piquet won on Pirellis.

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner tells Sky Sports: "Rain would make this come alive I'm fearful that after the start things will become predictable.

"They (Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen) both know the benefit there is from getting a big first lap as overtaking will be very, very hard."

On the split from engine manufacturer Renault, Horner adds: "Renault forced the hand, saying we want to know on Wednesday and we told them on Monday.

"It has been a long, successful relationship and we have had tension. We are hopeful we can finish the season on a high note.

"We have the confidence that Honda are going in the right direction, they have the right staff and good specialised knowledge. To be the focal point instead of being at the back of the queue is something more preferential."

Red Bull have made clear they are hoping for rain today. It's sunny at Le Castellet as we near race time, although there are a few clouds in the sky. There is forecast for rain later.

We get a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise at the track. If that doesn't get everyone pumped up, nothing will.

Polesitter Lewis Hamilton says: "I never thought in a million years I would have people supporting me. It is always such a humbling experience and I'm so grateful for people who represent in a cap or T-shirt or just turn up and cheer me on.

"It has not been easy [to take pole position] and you see how close it is between us all. You can't get it right every weekend but I'm really enjoying the challenge. It would be great if we could get a 1-2 for the day."

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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, Reuters

Ferrari have been a little off Mercedes’ pace this weekend in France, and Sebastian Vettel felt third place on the grid was a fair reflection on their form.

The race, though, he feels might be a different matter, having been encouraged by what he saw from the long runs on Friday (although others felt the Mercedes were definitely quicker than Ferrari there, too).

Ferrari’s race will be watched with interest because the track surface is the same as the new one laid in Barcelona, and the tyres being used at Paul Ricard are the thinner-gauge ones used there, too, to avoid blistering. Ferrari struggled badly on that combination in Spain, forced into making an extra pit stop, and Vettel finishing fourth.

“The track’s not easy on tyres but we saw yesterday that we had pretty good long runs and no problems with the tyres,” Vettel said. “First we focus on the start and then we see the true pace in the race but it should be good for us.”

Lewis Hamilton claimed the 75th pole of his F1 career, and his first in France, as Mercedes tied up the front row, with Valtteri Bottas alongside him. Ferrari didn't hit their stride on Saturday - as they did in Canada two weeks ago after a weak Friday - but championship leader Sebastian Vettel did take third.

No one's talking about Max Verstappen's mistakes now, are they? He seems to have got the message after setbacks in each of the season's first six Grand Prix weekends. Third in Canada, he starts fourth today, ahead of Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

1) HAM 2) BOT 3) VET 4) VER 5) RIC

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Plaudits to Carlos Sainz, who not only put the Renault seventh and best of the rest for the team’s home grand prix, but also out-qualified team-mate Nico Hulkenberg for the second time in three races (he also did it in Spain - but there the German had a fuel problem in qualifying that prevented him competing).

Sainz was thrilled, and Renault are making a habit of pulling a good result out of the bag even when they appear to be struggling. The mark of a good race team, which Enstone, through all its various guises, has always been.

Sauber's Charles Leclerc, who starts eighth, tells Sky Sports: "It felt great yesterday but now I need to calm down as the start of the race is soon. I would prefer rain, the Haas drivers in ninth and 10th will be strong in the dry.

"I thought F1 was not great in France as it was off free television but coming here there is a lot of support, it is a surprise and it feels great."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

While Charles Leclerc got everything and more than could be expected of him out of his Sauber, the same could not be said for Romain Grosjean in the Haas. The Frenchman had been best of the rest all weekend but blew it in final qualifying, shunting at Turn Three.

"We don't know yet what happened," he said rather dubiously. "It's the same braking point, the same entry speed. It's exactly the same as the previous lap, so there is no explanation.”

If it was indeed the same speed, the fact that he was on used tyres - which would have less grip than on his previous lap, when they were new, could well explain it.

Kevin Magnussen got tangled up with the dithering Kimi Raikkonen, backing off and going again after making mistakes on his Q3 laps as he so often does, but the Finn escaped a penalty for it. Instead of seventh and eighth, the Haas drivers start ninth and 10th.

Kimi Raikkonen, who starts sixth, tells Sky Sports: "It is not going to be easy (to overtake) we have seen it in a few races this year and it is difficult.

"The weather might change very quickly like we saw yesterday, obviously we will do our best and get further."

Romain Grosjean looked good all the way through practice, and fully deserved his place in Q3 - only to smack a wall during the final qualifying run and ruin is chances of getting anything better than 10th on the grid.

Kimi Raikkonen would have expected better than sixth - but he made a mess of his strategy in Q3 by staying out on the track for too long and not giving himself time to get in and change tyres for a quick final lap.

Charles Leclerc astonished everyone by passing Kevin Magnussen to take eighth. Magnussen later blamed Raikkonen for getting in his way. Carlos Sainz took seventh.

6) RAI 7) SAI 8) LEC 9) MAG 10) GRO

Can Esteban Ocon get among the points at his home race? He starts 11th.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

There is some concern about safety at pit-lane entry and exit. The worry on entry is that a car losing control could spin into the Mercedes area, endangering mechanics, and the exit is that it is on the racing line.

The drivers have asked the FIA why, with empty garages at the far end of the pit lane, the teams were not simply moved along, and the empty ones put at the entry. For now, the solution has been to lower the pit-lane speed limit to 60km/h, but it remains a worry, especially if it is wet.

"With the guardrails and the angles you're entering the pit lane it's putting some of the guys, especially at Mercedes, at risk," said McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.

"It happens very fast and for sure 60km/h is better already but I think they could have done a bit better by moving all the boxes a bit further away. It seems there are another couple of boxes at the other end of the pit lane. I think there was an easy solution in place."