F1 Fantasy: top picks & predictions for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix

F1 Fantasy players will take a step into the unknown this weekend, as the series returns to China for the first time since 2019, with little data to suggest who will be faster than who. There’s also the first sprint race weekend of the season and a strange F1 Fantasy deadline to factor in too.

Following a sole free practice session on Friday, drivers will be thrown straight into qualifying for the sprint race. However, the F1 Fantasy deadline is not set to expire until the following day, on Saturday at 4am BST, giving players a very good idea of the competitive order before finalising their line-up. The sprint race should also mean higher scores, with the winning driver getting eight points, down to one for the eight-place finisher, in addition to points for overtaking, gaining position and fastest lap — so getting your driver and constructor combination right will really pay off.

We’re now four races deep into the 2024 F1 campaign, and already F1 Fantasy line-ups are beginning to converge. With Max Verstappen‘s superlative form almost never challenged, it’s hardly a surprise that the Dutchman still features in 46% of line-ups.

Similarly, with Ferrari beginning to find Red Bull-ish performance, tifosi favourite Charles Leclerc‘s popularity in F1 Fantasy line-ups has grown — with the Monégasque driver appearing in 33% of teams — despite failing to beat his team-mate in a single race this season (when both drivers have entered).

So if you’re wanting to make a leap up the standings, taking a risk on some hidden gems may be the best way forward.

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2024 F1 Fantasy — F1’s secret driver gems

Drivers and constructors with the most points scored per million of their value, and their price changes since the last race

Driver	Points scored	Selection %
Sergio Perez	117	13%
Carlos Sainz	110	22%
Oscar Piastri	64	16%
George Russell	45	10%

Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri and George Russell have all ranked inside the top 10 F1 Fantasy scorers this season, cost less than their relative team-mates but still feature in limited line-ups.

While the likes of Russell and Piastri could be seen as risky investments considering the inconsistent performance of the cars beneath them, both Perez and Sainz are proven front-runners who could play a major part in your F1 Fantasy success should you choose them to feature in your line-up.

In previous F1 Fantasy guides, we’ve already shown that having Red Bull’s Mexican Minister of Defence in your line-up can be beneficial than including Verstappen. Should Sainz’s performances improve, it’s likely he’ll be of similar value when compared with Leclerc.

Read on for our tips and predictions for the Chinese Grand Prix, and don’t forget to join the Motor Sport Fantasy league.

There are more on the rules and scoring in our F1 Fantasy full guide; and if you need some creative inspiration, check out our F1 Fantasy team name generator. For more information on the chips available and when to use them, we’ve got an F1 Fantasy chips explainer too.

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How to score the most F1 Fantasy points possible in China

With such little data to analyse, it’s just as well that the deadline to confirm your team comes at 4am on Saturday morning, after qualifying and moments before the sprint race.

This appears to be down to the fact that sprint qualifying doesn’t earn any Fantasy points, and is an unprecedented opportunity to watch a competitive session (sprint qualifying on Friday morning) and then almost a full day before having to lock in your selections.

That’s helpful because, while the pace of both Red Bull and Ferrari are expected to lead the field, it’s not clear who might follow in their wake.

Here — ahead of the weekend’s running — is who we think you should consider:

 

Carlos Sainz ✅

Aside from Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz is currently F1’s most in-form driver. Having secured a podium in every race he’s entered so far in 2024, the Spaniard has rocketed to the top of the F1 Fantasy leaderboards: with an average of 36.67 points scored and second only to team-mate Leclerc in overall value.

In fact, had he not missed the Saudi Arabian GP, he’d most likely be leading the world championship while also having amassed the highest F1 Fantasy points total. But despite all those accolades, Sainz is still only $20.1m and has been picked by just 22% of players.

Still without a seat for 2025, Sainz also has the extra incentive of driving to impress the likes of Christian Horner and Toto Wolff who have spare seats this year. So if you’re looking for a driver who can free up some of your budget while still delivering you series-leading point totals, look no further than El Matador Jr. 

 

Alpine ❌

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have managed to score just 16 points between them over the first four rounds of racing, with no end to their current performance drought in sight.

Speaking after the Japanese GP, Ocon even stated that he felt he was “racing in a different category” to the rest of the field — which doesn’t exactly invoke a lot of confidence in F1 Fantasy players looking for a budget driver or constructor option.

So while you may be tempted by the sub-$10m price tags for both Alpine drivers and the constructor, there are far better options available which could not only deliver in the short-term but could also grow in value, allowing you to trade them later for a profit.

Haas‘s Kevin Magnussen is a prime example.

 

Kevin Magnussen ✅

Despite trailing team-mate Nico Hülkenberg in the drivers’ standings, Kevin Magnussen has been a standout performer for Haas on the F1 Fantasy leaderboards.

The Dane is currently the fifth-best bang-for-your-buck driver on the grid — having scored 0.95 points per million of his value ($8.2m) — which has a lot to do with him completing the second-highest number of overtakes of any driver on the grid (17).

In the past, Haas has been worth avoiding due to its tendency to qualify high on the grid before falling back during the grand prix and losing plenty of F1 Fantasy points in the process. But with its race pace now improved, both Magnussen and Hülkenberg could be experienced drivers to keep an eye on for the future.

In China, we’d recommend picking up the Dane, as a stellar record around the Shanghai circuit — which includes impressive points finishes in 2018 and 2017 — suggests he could he one of the highest-scoring low-budget driver the grid has to offer.

 

Williams ❌

Still without a spare chassis, including any Williams asset in your F1 Fantasy line-up can only be seen as a major risk.

Even with more races under his belt, Alex Albon currently has a negative points total (-10) and the team itself has scored only 13 points in total.

Team principal James Vowles has stated that the teams should have access to a spare chassis in Miami, so until that time, you’re probably best spending your F1 Fantasy budget elsewhere.

 

What F1 Fantasy chips should I use in China? 

The Chinese GP weekend could be the perfect chance to play your Extra DRS Chip — tripling the score of a chosen driver over the course of both the sprint and GP events.

With significantly more points available over the course of the weekend, playing this chip now should allow you to close the gap if your F1 Fantasy season has got off to a slow start, or extend your advantage.

However, with little known about the running order around the Shanghai circuit, we’d recommend waiting until after Friday’s sprint qualifying session before deciding which driver to give your DRS boost to.