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

The Red Bull Ring in Austria plays host to Formula 1 this weekend, which means our Strategist has once again been delving through the data, crunching the numbers and considering the options that might make all the difference in F1 Fantasy.

It’s never too late to join the free-to-play game and compete for the great prizes on offer every race week! New players will need to select five drivers and two constructors within the starting cost cap of $100 million.

Keep an eye open for exciting mini leagues popping up throughout the F1 Fantasy season too, creating even more chances to play and win.

Ahead of every race weekend, our F1 Fantasy Strategist considers seven in-game assets – five drivers and two teams – that might help kick your team into gear, whether that’s eking out every point or maximising your budget.

Dusting off the cobwebs after a week off between races, the Strategist notes that George Russell, Grand Prix victor – and highest F1 Fantasy point scorer – last time out in Canada, was also a shock winner when Formula 1 last visited Spielberg. Can the Mercedes driver do it again?

Catch up on the Canada highlights below and keep reading for more tips. Remember to lock in your teams before Qualifying starts on Saturday, June 28 at 1600 local time (1400 UTC).

Max Verstappen ($29.2m)

As far as differentials go this weekend, there aren’t many better than the 17%-owned Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Ring.

The Dutchman has secured the last seven pole positions in Austria (in all formats and including the Styrian Grand Prix), which includes a podium finish in every race he has made it to the chequered flag between 2016 and 2023 – he was on track for a similar result in 2024 until his collision with Lando Norris ($31.0m) with eight laps remaining.

The Red Bull racer also leads all drivers for Driver of the Day wins in 2025 (+10 points in F1 Fantasy), with three to his name so far this season. Kimi Antonelli ($18.3m) is the only other driver to have more than one.

Although Verstappen’s price tag may dissuade some new owners, recent history suggests that no one else comes close to him around this circuit.

Nico Hulkenberg ($7.2m)

For the honours of the third-most fantasy points scored across the last two races, that goes to Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

With back-to-back Grand Prix finishes inside the top eight, the German has catapulted himself to P8 in the F1 Fantasy driver standings.

The veteran racer has only been outscored by George Russell and Oscar Piastri across Spain and Canada – a remarkable run of consistency that sets him up for a hat-trick of $0.6m price rises.

Hulkenberg is a must-own asset in F1 Fantasy this weekend for any engaged player.

Pierre Gasly ($5.8m)

Pierre Gasly’s 2025 campaign has been riddled with inconsistencies but may appeal to some adventurous F1 Fantasy players this week.

The Alpine veteran leads all 20 drivers on the grid in 2025 with three Grand Prix retirements (tied with Fernando Alonso). As a result, Gasly’s price has been in freefall, decreasing $0.6m in value every race since Australia.

However, not all hope is lost for the Frenchman in F1 Fantasy. At $5.8m, he only requires five fantasy points for a maximum $0.6m price rise this weekend – on the back of game scores of 10 and six in the last two race weekends.

At a price very few expected him to be at when starting the year at $11.8m, now may be a great opportunity to capitalise on this bargain asset.

Fernando Alonso ($5.1m)

Much like Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso has also struggled for momentum on track and in F1 Fantasy this season.

Considering his start to the campaign, the Spaniard has been on a remarkable run across Spain and Canada, recording 36 points – good for sixth best in total among all drivers across that span.

Aston Martin’s recent improvements to the car have contributed to Alonso banking back-to-back top 10 race results.

Averaging 4.0 points per $1 million spent in his last two outings, there isn’t a better value option on the grid heading into Austria.

Gabriel Bortoleto ($4.5m)

Gabriel Bortoleto represents a safe pick in F1 Fantasy when it comes to budget, knowing he can fall no lower than the $4.5m price floor.

The Kick Sauber rookie can take some confidence from his Austrian victory in the F2 Feature Race with Invicta last year, and a P2 finish with Trident in F3 the year before.

Fascinatingly, the young Brazilian has only retired in Grands Prix this season when wet weather affected the race weekend – Australia and Miami.

With warm weather in the forecast at the time of writing, this stands out as a good omen for Bortoleto.

Other drivers to monitor: Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz

McLaren ($33.0m)

The 40-point F1 Fantasy outing for McLaren in Canada was certainly a red herring – not since Japan 2024 (39) has the team scored less in a single race weekend.

Montreal was the first time this season the Woking squad were not the highest scoring team across a race weekend – they were fourth behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

However, this is far from a cause for concern. Norris and Piastri have contributed to 83.2 points per race weekend this season, 33.6 points more than their nearest rival, and McLaren remains the best value asset in the game at 2.66 points per $1 million spent.

Although the team’s form might have hit a bump, don’t expect this to be a regular occurrence as they search for their seventh score of 80 or more fantasy points in the last eight races in Spielberg.

Mercedes ($24.7m)

It’s hard to ignore the allure of the Silver Arrows at the Red Bull Ring, a circuit where George Russell won last year.

Mercedes recorded their best-ever F1 Fantasy score in Canada (87), improving on their 1-2 finish in Las Vegas 2024 (82), after securing another fastest lap result this season.

Although their front-running rivals Ferrari ($29.1m) outscore the Brackley-based team on average by 2.1 fantasy points per weekend, the German manufacturer has more podiums (Mercedes’ six vs Ferrari’s three) and fastest laps (Mercedes’ two vs Ferrari’s zero) this year.

If Russell and Antonelli bring their A-Game in Austria, expect the 18% ownership to creep up.

Other constructors to monitor: Kick Sauber, Ferrari

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.