Formula 1's two title contenders, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, admit it took some time for them to adapt to the challenge of Paul Ricard in practice on Friday.

Hosting its first French Grand Prix since 1990, most drivers have a good amount of experience around the circuit at Le Castellet thanks to junior formulae and F1 tyre tests, yet with it vast run-off areas and numerous alternative layouts it was causing some problems.

During Practice 1, Vettel was caught braking for the wrong chicane on the Mistral Straight and generally lacked pace compared to his rivals, finishing three-tenths slower than his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

“I think the car is quick but I was not able to be quick with the car today,” the German said. “Sometimes you have these days.

“I think it is a tricky track, not easy to get everything right. Some corners are difficult to find the sweet spot.”

However: “On the long run, I was able to play around a little bit more and try a few different lines so hopefully I can start from there tomorrow and I think, car-wise, we can improve,” the four-time champion added.

“It is not yet where it should be.”

Despite being fastest in both sessions, Hamilton largely echoed his main rival's thoughts.

“It’s always a challenge when you come to a new circuit, but you’re constantly learning new things and I love the challenge of trying to get into the swing of it before everyone else,” Hamilton said.

“There’s a lot of different lines you can take and it’s tricky to find reference points out on the track.

“There’s a couple of places for example on the back straight where you’re trying to find out where the corner is – it’s really hard to see.”