F1 FANTASY: Strategist Selection – What’s the best line-up for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix?

The next stop on this European triple-header takes us to Monaco for one of the most prestigious events in sport. The famous street circuit is uniquely challenging, and is bound to test selection decisions in F1 Fantasy.

It’s not too late to join the free-to-play game and compete for the great prizes on offer each week! New players will need to select five drivers and two constructors within the starting cost cap of $100 million.

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Ahead of each race weekend, the Strategist reviews seven unique F1 Fantasy assets that can help your team to fantasy success.

The Circuit de Monaco has a history of rewarding those that make the most of Qualifying on Saturday, given how difficult it can be to make overtakes, so remember to lock in your fantasy teams before Qualifying begins on May 24 at 1600 local time (1400 UTC).

Charles Leclerc ($24.0m)

For a pure points play this weekend, Charles Leclerc becomes an extremely tempting driver to own at his home race – perhaps even a candidate for the Final Fix chip should he deliver another successful result in Qualifying.

It has been a difficult season so far for the Ferrari driver, but he has salvaged four F1 Fantasy scores of 20+ points since his China disqualification.

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Encouragingly, the Monegasque racer has also recorded three pole positions in his last four visits to the French Riviera, plus his breakthrough victory in 2024. That result delivered 45 F1 Fantasy points and Driver of the Day honours for the hometown hero.

Although there may be some concerns around the pace and performance of the car, Leclerc may be hard to ignore if he is running near the top of the timing charts through free practice.

Yuki Tsunoda ($14.6m)

Yuki Tsunoda appears on the Strategist’s watchlist for the first time this season after scintillating F1 Fantasy performances over the last two weeks which netted him 42 points.

The Japanese driver needs to score equal to or greater than -2 fantasy points to secure at least a $0.2m price rise.

READ MORE: Tsunoda takes positives from Imola recovery drive but admits he won’t try to be a ‘hero’ in next Qualifying sessions

Although his hefty price tag may dissuade potential new owners from the 5% owned Tsunoda, the improving Red Bull and his recent strong qualifying results – prior to Imola – suggest he's worth a look.

With an average qualifying position of 9.3 between Bahrain and Miami, and Tsunoda gaining more experience in the Red Bull machine, could more of the same be on the cards this weekend?

Carlos Sainz ($9.3m)

Carlos Sainz is coming off three consecutive P6 qualifying results in a car that has been on an upward trajectory in recent races.

The Spaniard has an exceptionally good record in Monte Carlo, having finished in the points at every Grand Prix there since his debut with Toro Rosso in 2015.

READ MORE: ‘We don’t seem to execute well on Sundays’ – Sainz ‘unhappy’ with Imola P8 as Williams were ‘quicker than Mercedes and Ferrari’

Sainz can also take confidence from more recent podium finishes in three of the last four Monaco Grands Prix.

At a track that tends to reward those that qualify well on Saturday, expect the Williams racer to be in the mix for another strong Q3 result this weekend.

Pierre Gasly ($7.6m)

Pierre Gasly appears on the F1 Fantasy radar in Monaco as a fantastic option to increase team value at a friendly price point.

The Frenchman only requires 7 fantasy points to increase $0.6m in value, on the back of averaging 10.5 points over his last two races.

READ MORE: Gasly hails ‘best Friday of the year’ with P3 in Imola after bouncing back from ‘unfortunate’ FP1 incident

The Alpine racer can also look to his recent Qualifying performances as a good omen for this weekend – four Q3 appearances for 2025, which includes a season-best P5 in Bahrain.

If Gasly can replicate some of this strong single-lap pace on Saturday, expect him to make a mockery of his $7.6m price tag over the weekend.

Nico Hulkenberg ($6.2m)

Nico Hulkenberg has recorded back-to-back F1 Fantasy scores of 9 points in both Miami and Imola, positioning him to only need 5 fantasy points for a $0.6m price rise in Monaco.

The 234-race veteran’s recent performances indicate he could once again deliver at a track that rewards experience and race craft.

READ MORE: Hulkenberg calls Imola ‘one of the closer ones’ as Kick Sauber come within touching distance of points

At his price point, there are few other drivers on the grid that offer the same budget-gain upside and points reliability as the German does in Monaco.

Other drivers to monitor: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris

Red Bull ($26.9m)

Red Bull have been the second-highest scoring constructor to McLaren over the last two races.

Max Verstappen has four front-row starts in his last five races and Tsunoda, prior to his Imola Qualifying crash, has had three Q3 appearances so far this season.

READ MORE: Horner hails Verstappen after ‘win it or bin it’ Turn 1 move on Piastri at Imola

Verstappen has two wins, four podiums and three pole positions so far this campaign, and is just 22 points behind championship leader Piastri.

If this form and performance continues in Monaco, a circuit which punishes hesitation but rewards confidence, expect Red Bull to contend from the outset for more strong results.

Williams ($16.5m)

Williams are proving to be great value for money, averaging more than 2 fantasy points per $1 million spent in the last three race weekends.

The Grove-based outfit have continued to improve after a mixed start to the season – improving every week since Bahrain with recent scores of 13, 27, 31 and 42.

READ MORE: Albon left with mixed feelings over P5 finish in Imola after ‘licking my lips’ at potential Williams podium

With Sainz and Alex Albon securing the maximum 10 teamwork points in each of the last two race weekends for both making Q3, momentum is firmly on their side heading into Monaco.

Williams also provide an exceptional route to increasing your cost cap, only needing to exceed -13 fantasy points this weekend to achieve the maximum $0.6m price increase.

Other constructors to monitor: McLaren, Mercedes

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.