F1 FANTASY: Strategist Selection – What’s the best line-up for the Chinese Grand Prix?

The Formula 1 action continues in China after a season-opening race in Melbourne full of excitement, drama and disappointment in equal measures kicked off 2025. As we approach the first Sprint weekend of the year, this also has implications for our F1 Fantasy teams.

The free to play game rolls on to China – and it’s still not too late to join to compete for the great prizes on offer each week. New players will need to select five drivers and two teams within the starting cost cap of $100 million.

F1 FANTASY: The Official Formula 1 Fantasy Game – Play for free today

With plenty of additional points on the table for the first Sprint weekend of the season, where points are also awarded in the 100-kilometre Sprint, the right selection decisions continue to be as important as ever. The ‘Strategist Selection’ considers five drivers and two teams that can contribute to F1 Fantasy success this weekend.

Keep reading for seven F1 Fantasy tips that can help you out in Shanghai – and remember to lock in your teams before the Sprint, commencing at 1100 local time (0300 UTC) on March 22.

Drivers

Oscar Piastri ($22.7m)

Oscar Piastri returns to the Strategist’s line-up for another week. The third-year driver looked primed for a podium result at home on Sunday after both McLaren drivers streaked away from the field in the early stages.

However, a costly error on Lap 44 led to him spinning out onto the grass right before the pit lane, ultimately finishing the race in P9 and coming away with 10 F1 Fantasy points. Fascinatingly, this result was still enough to keep his streak of double-digit F1 Fantasy performances alive, extending it to 27 races in a row.

PALMER: Piastri was too hard on himself after his slip on Sunday – his race in Australia was one of his best yet

However, the Australian can take confidence from the weekend, especially considering that the MCL39 is expected to be even stronger in dry conditions.

With the forecast expected to be clear throughout the visit to China, expect Piastri to rebound for the showdown in Shanghai.

Alex Albon ($12.6m)

It only took one race in 2025 for Alex Albon to outscore his 2024 F1 Fantasy season high of 12 points.

Williams were expected to improve on their results of last season this campaign, but few expected a turnaround so quickly.

READ MORE: ‘It’s all to play for’ – Albon ‘trying to get my head around’ Melbourne points haul as he hails Williams improvements

Albon’s scintillating drive in the Australian Grand Prix, after an impressive P6 in qualifying, propelled him to fifth in the World Drivers’ Championship.

The pace from the FW48 throughout practice and Qualifying in Melbourne suggests that more of the same is in store in China.

Lance Stroll ($8.7m)

One of the most under-the-radar results from the Australian Grand Prix has to be Lance Stroll’s P6 for Aston Martin.

The Canadian has had quite a romance with Albert Park, finishing in the top six in the last three visits to the circuit.

READ MORE: Aston Martin boss Cowell insists pressure should be on the team as he backs Alonso and Stroll to ‘both deliver’

There was a lot to like about Stroll’s weekend in Melbourne – he finished ahead of his veteran team mate Fernando Alonso in FP2 and FP3 and capitalised on the misfortune of other drivers ahead to gain seven positions.

With the new three-week rolling average dictating price changes for this season, Stroll’s 16-pointer to start the year sets him up as a reliable source of early-season budget growth heading into the first Sprint.

Nico Hulkenberg ($7.0m)

Few people would have predicted Nico Hulkenberg to be highest in the Drivers’ Championship among Ferrari-powered runners after Week 1.

The German driver had a scintillating start to his 2025 campaign, recording the second most positions gained (10) and fourth most overtakes (four) of all drivers.

READ MORE: ‘We were there when it mattered’ – Hulkenberg enthusiastic about scoring points on ‘milestone’ Kick Sauber debut

Although the Kick Sauber remains firmly rooted at the back of the field in normal conditions, Hulkenberg’s racecraft and reliability makes him an attractive asset at an affordable price.

On the back of his 20-point haul in Australia, his equal-best F1 Fantasy result since rejoining the grid in 2023, he’s well-positioned to rise in price again under the new price change model.

Isack Hadjar ($5.6m)

After what was built up to be a weekend of promise for Isack Hadjar, it all came crumbling down on the formation lap in Melbourne.

However, Hadjar can still take a lot of confidence from his first race weekend in an F1 car – he outqualified all rookies on Saturday and finished as high as P6 in FP2.

READ MORE: ‘They’re classy guys’ – Hadjar reflects on ‘special moment’ with Anthony Hamilton and message from Lewis after Australian GP crash

Among those rookies priced under $7m, the Strategist predicts the RB driver is the most likely to get it done and bounce back from a rollercoaster first weekend in F1.

Other drivers to monitor: Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon.

Teams

McLaren ($30.3m)

The papaya team started their 2025 campaign off with a blast – Lando Norris notching not only the win, but also pole position, fastest lap and Driver of the Day.

Although the 71-point outing still exceeded their 2024 race week average (62.8), the score from Australia could have been even higher had Piastri not lost control of his car in the rain.

PADDOCK INSIDER: Will McLaren remain the team to beat in Shanghai – or can a rival team spoil their early-season party?

Much like its driver counterpart in the Strategist’s picks for this week, the outfit’s remarkable consistency in qualifying and on race day makes them very appealing – not since Belgium 2023 has McLaren scored fewer than 30 F1 Fantasy points in a race weekend.

With dry conditions on the horizon in Shanghai, in addition to an extra session of racing, do McLaren have the drivers and the machinery to break 100 points in F1 Fantasy this weekend?

Williams ($12.9m)

The Grove-based outfit had both drivers make an appearance in Q3 last Saturday, only for the weather to undo the hopes of a fairytale debut for Carlos Sainz the following day.

It was a tale of two drives for Albon and Sainz in the Grand Prix – the Thai racer finished P5 in treacherous conditions while the Spaniard spun out on the opening lap of the Grand Prix.

NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

However, their 34% ownership can take confidence in the car’s pace – it was fifth in qualifying and race simulations in Australia.

If the veteran pairing, at a budget-friendly price-point, continue their qualifying momentum into China and translate this into a well-rounded race performance, expect a significant improvement on last week’s result.

Other teams to monitor: Mercedes and Ferrari.

Chip consideration: ‘Limitless’

Limitless is an optimal chip to deploy at Sprint events. With the deadline coming at the start of the Sprint on these weekends, it provides an additional session of point-scoring opportunities for your team.

Playing this chip earlier in the season can prove to be advantageous, while team budgets are lower than they typically would be later in the year, especially when players that have progressively increased their cost cap over the year may be able to afford multiple higher-priced drivers at that point in time.

AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Chinese Grand Prix

Consider building around the following drivers and teams in China when constructing a Limitless squad:

Drivers: Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell
Teams: McLaren, Ferrari

Strategist tip: your pre-Limitless team (i.e. the one you had in Australia) will be subject to the price changes at the conclusion of the race weekend.

As always, be sure to keep a close eye on Free Practice to help guide your decisions for drivers and teams in the lead up to the team lock deadline.

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