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

The first European race on the 2025 Formula 1 calendar leads us to Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. After a Sprint weekend in Miami that produced mixed F1 Fantasy results in the wet, many teams will be looking for a chance to reset.

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The Strategist reviews seven F1 Fantasy assets that can contribute to points and cost cap gains this weekend, as we kick off the second triple-header of the season.

Remember to lock in your teams before Qualifying, commencing on May 17 at 1600 local time (1400 UTC).

Oscar Piastri ($24.0m)

Three race victories in a row. Four wins so far this season. Oscar Piastri feels inevitable right now.

The Australian charged to another win last time out in Miami, increasing his lead over McLaren team mate Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship to 16 points.

READ MORE: ‘He can be very proud’ – Piastri voices support for Doohan after fellow Australian’s Alpine demotion

Piastri’s recent consistency in F1 Fantasy has also been something to hang his hat on – three consecutive $0.3m price rises on the back of scores of 58, 38 and 45.

Expect much of the same this weekend with the momentum firmly behind him based on his recent form and the car's performance.

Alex Albon ($12.8m)

Alex Albon is off to his best ever start in an F1 season – 30 points in the Drivers’ Championship through six Grand Prix weekends – and returns to the Strategist’s watchlist for the second consecutive race weekend.

The Williams racer heads to Italy after his second P5 Grand Prix result this season in Miami, and his best F1 Fantasy score in 2025 (19 points).

READ MORE: Albon delighted with fifth in Miami as Sainz admits frustrations over inability to score 'bigger' points for Williams

Albon also has four Q3 appearances so far, and an average Grand Prix finishing position of 7.8 this season, which bodes well in Imola – a circuit known for its difficulty when it comes to overtaking.

Keep an eye on the Thai driver throughout free practice if the pace of the Williams continues to deliver.

Lance Stroll ($9.7m)

Lance Stroll recorded his highest F1 Fantasy score of the season in Miami – 25 points, with 20 of those coming from the Sprint.

The Canadian is fourth for total race positions gained per race (2.7), largely helped by his four consecutive Q1 exits in Qualifying this season.

READ MORE: ‘Slow all season’ – Stroll urges Aston Martin to improve car ‘in all areas’ after struggles continue in Miami

Although Stroll only needs a solitary point for a $0.2m price rise in Imola, he may be hard-pressed to achieve anything more given the challenge of moving up the grid at this circuit.

Regardless, the Aston Martin driver remains well-positioned to increase in value this weekend.

Nico Hulkenberg ($6.0m)

Nico Hulkenberg has been nothing if not consistent in 2025.

Although the Kick Sauber machine has been languishing at the back on single-lap and race pace this season, the veteran driver has far outperformed the capabilities of the car in recent weekends.

READ MORE: Audi announce organisational restructure ahead of F1 arrival in 2026

When we exclude his Bahrain disqualification, the German has recorded 35 fantasy points in his other five races this season.

If Hulkenberg can secure a mere five fantasy points in Imola, this will be enough for a $0.2m price rise in a week where few other midfield drivers are able to do so because of recent DNFs.

Franco Colapinto ($4.5m)

Franco Colapinto joins the Alpine driver line-up this weekend after signing with them as a reserve driver in the off-season.

Looking to build on some of the early momentum he discovered in his nine races with Williams in 2024, the Argentinian comes in at a very friendly price.

READ MORE: ‘I know he's immensely quick’ – Vowles backs Colapinto to deliver for Alpine after seat swap

Only requiring five fantasy points on his Alpine debut for a price rise, the low scoring threshold for the 21-year-old makes him an attractive differential option at his price, as well as an easy swap for any players that currently own the inactive Jack Doohan.

Colapinto will be firmly in the Strategist’s crosshairs heading towards the deadline on Saturday.

Other drivers to monitor: Lando Norris, Gabriel Bortoleto

McLaren ($31.8m)

The Strategist is running out of superlatives to describe how potent McLaren are as an F1 Fantasy asset.

The Woking-based team posted their best-ever F1 Fantasy score of 118 in Miami – in fact, it was the second-highest ever score, only beaten by Red Bull’s 126 over the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

READ MORE: 5 crucial milestone moments in F1 safety technology

McLaren are the only team to have both drivers feature in every Q3 session this season. They've also recorded the fastest lap in five of the six Grands Prix this year and are showing no signs of letting up.

For any non-owners, this team leads the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings and should be atop your shopping list in Imola.

Williams ($15.9m)

The season-high 31 F1 Fantasy points in Miami is nothing to get that excited about, yet it feels as though Williams are building towards an even better result on the horizon.

The only thing that has held the Grove-based team from a strong F1 Fantasy score lately has been Carlos Sainz’s retirements – three through six race weekends in 2025.

READ MORE: James Vowles, Jamie Chadwick and Lia Block set to drive Nigel Mansell’s iconic FW14B at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Although consistently getting both drivers to the chequered flag has been something of struggle for Williams in recent years (12 retirements in 2024, 9 in 2023), they have still been able to produce double-digit fantasy scores every race weekend this season.

Encouragingly, Imola is a low-DNF circuit with only six retirements in the last three visits. If that holds true, Williams could be a set for a decent points outing this weekend.

Other constructors to monitor: Mercedes, Red Bull

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.