Against the painted symmetry of the Paul Ricard circuit, Ferrari excelled in qualifying for the French Grand Prix with a suitably artistic display of synchronised scarlet teamwork. So often the butt of criticism for poor strategy, the Scuderia pulled off an Italian job to perfection, ensuring Charles Leclerc secured pole for Sunday’s race. He put in a fine lap for Ferrari but was aided by a tow from his teammate, Carlos Sainz, that helped him clinch pole, beating the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez into second and third. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were fourth and sixth – decent enough given their season but far from the improvement Mercedes had hoped for. An end to their winless run seems as far off as ever.