F1 Fantasy: top picks and predictions for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix

Two races in to the season and you should start to have a feel for which drivers are going to boost your points total, and which are going to drain it, but the only certainty in F1 is uncertainty.

Last year’s Australian Grand Prix saw plenty of unexpected twists and turns, with Fernando Alonso seemingly on course for a front row start before a hydraulics failure saw him crash his Alpine on his flying lap. Race day saw several favourites fail to finish, including Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, as Charles Leclerc stormed to a dominant victory.

So while Red Bull‘s dominance over the rest of the field is established, there are no guarantees at Albert Park — particularly with reliability worries rearing their head in Jeddah. That said, Verstappen and Perez remain the favourites, their F1 Fantasy prices growing still more: buying both drivers and the constructor will now take $72.7m out of your $100m budget.

For the biggest point hauls, at least one Red Bull driver in your lineup is essential – filling out the rest of your team is the tricky bit.

Players get two free transfers ahead of each grand prix, so here’s who you should consider.

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Main contenders

Driver	Reason
Charles Leclerc $21.2m ↑0.1m	Unlike last year, Ferrari has stumbled out the gate in pursuit of a first world title since 2008, but Charles Leclerc hasn’t lost his form. The Monégasque’s talents were on full display during qualifying in Saudi Arabia, where he was just over a tenth off the pole time. Expect a similar level of commitment in Melbourne scene of his most dominant F1 victory. Qualifying pace has been strong so far this season, so Leclerc will hope to outperform the Red Bulls over a single lap to claim pole and ten F1 Fantasy points. The SF23 has proven troublesome in races, but if the team can solve its tyre degradation issue this weekend, Leclerc should be able to run closer to the front. At $21.2m, up by $0.1m from the last race, he’s is a significant investment, but could be a valuable point scorer if Ferrari’s race pace comes good. If you’re willing to gamble, then why not go all-in and use your DRS boost for double Leclerc points/
Sergio Perez  $18.2m ↑0.1m	Victory and a dominant performance in Saudi Arabia confirmed Sergio Perez‘s title aspirations and made him the second highest F1 Fantasy point scorer this season – at a price that’s almost $9m cheaper than team-mate Verstappen. Aside from Fernando Alonso, Perez is arguably the best driver to pick at the moment, given the world champion’s high price. he’s on a roll too, after his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix win. Perez has shown a formidable ability on street circuits, winning at Monaco, Baku, Singapore and Jeddah since joining Red Bull in 2021. Could Melbourne be next on the list? To put it plainly, if he’s not winning, he’s almost certainly finishing second, so grab him now before his value continues to climb!
Fernando Alonso $8.7m ↑0.2m	If you haven’t put Fernando Alonso in your driver lineup already, back-to-back podium finishes in Bahrain and Jeddah should be enough to convince you to make him the newest addition. Only two points shy of Sergio Perez’s current points haul, Alonso’s consistency combined with a resurgent Aston Martin has placed him as a firm favourite among players – the Spaniard appearing in 82% of Fantasy lineups. Need we add that his price is less than a third of Max Verstappen’s? His reappearance at the front of the grid has also made him a popular Driver of the Day candidate, which can earn an extra 10 points (20 with a DRS Boost…).

Ones to watch

$8.2m

Driver	Reason
Max Verstappen $27.1m ↑0.1m	Earning 96 F1 Fantasy points so far this season, the most on the grid by a 32 point margin, it’s no surprise Max Verstappen has been picked by 63% of all F1 Fantasy players. Piloting the RB19, a car that looks leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, the Dutchman is poised to contend for a third consecutive world title – and could extend his advantage in Melbourne. But at $27.1m — up by another $0.1m this week) he’s still a very costly investment, With Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez available for $9m less, there are better bang-for-your-buck options elsewhere.
Pierre Gasly $8.7m →	Pierre Gasly is once again proving to be the class of the midfield, earning 26 F1 Fantasy points in two consistent ninth place finishes. Although Alpine doesn’t appear to have matched the performance of last year’s car, and is still way off the mark of the top four, Gasly has a history of overachieving in underperforming cars and for $8.2m, he could prove to be a profitable pick. The Frenchman has already shown his ability to overtake, earning an incredible 18 points from positions gained in Bahrain, and with plenty of opportunities at Albert Park, its more than possible he’ll deliver again.
Lance Stroll  $7.6m ↓0.1m	After a retirement in Jeddah, Lance Stroll‘s value has dropped by $0.1m, and he remains the cheapest driver in the top four cars. Although Alonso, Perez and Verstappen look the most likely race winners, Stroll’s Aston Martin seat also gives him a shot. All it takes is a clash at the front, and suddenly your $7.6m investment becomes very profitable. The Canadian was unfortunate to miss out on another points finish in Saudi Arabia, forced to stop due to an engine failure, costing F1 Fantasy players 20 points in the process. But with Aston Martin continuing to close the gap and Stroll capable of consistent performances, he can still be a valuable member of any lineup, with the potential to produce a surprise or two as the season progresses.

 

Drivers to avoid

McLaren has remained at the very bottom of the constructors’ standings after another disappointing performance in Saudi Arabia, both drivers combining for a -8 F1 Fantasy point total. There was a brief moment of happiness for the fans in papaya, as Oscar Piastri managed to force his car through to Q3 but was caught in an early scrap that ultimately demoted him to the back of the field. Similarly, Lando Norris continued to struggle, failing to reach Q2 after glancing a wall during his qualifying run and finishing P17 on race day.

While the car might be faster than its results suggest, even the team admits that it’s waiting for an upgrade package before it can really show its potential. And with seemingly no luck at the moment, picking McLaren as a constructor, or one of its drivers in your line-up runs the risk of further minuscule point tallies or more deductions. Drivers from the likes of Alfa Romeo, Haas or even Williams offer a much better option, and the teams are better-value now, with each of the trio also costing $0.1m less than the last race.

 

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Chips

With the third race of the season upon us, you may be starting to think about playing one of your six chips – if you haven’t already. At this very early stage in the F1 calendar, some chips should be used with caution, as they may save your season later down the line, or be more lucrative during sprint weekends when more points are on offer. But if you’re set on using one up in Australia, here’s what we recommend:

Extra DRS Boost No planned upgrades for the Australian Grand Prix means Red Bull remains the heavy favourite for a third consecutive victory, so why not take advantage? An Extra DRS Boost to Verstappen or Perez will triple your points for that driver for the weekend and give you a big advantage as we enter the month long wait before the next round of racing.

Wildcard Now that we have a better picture of what the running order actually looks like, the Wildcard may give you the chance to get your season back on track, allowing you to swap out your entire lineup with no effect on your current score. But keep in mind, this may come in handy when teams start to apply upgrades to the cars, which should start to minimise Red Bull’s advantage at the front of the field.

 

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2023 Australian Grand Prix: Who we’re picking

In light of Red Bull’s continued dominance, we have chosen it to replace Ferrari as one of our constructors, which should be well worth the eye-watering price tag.

With Alpine starting to find its feet, we have also opted to replace Valtteri Bottas with Pierre Gasly for the Australian Grand Prix – the Frenchman looking to continue his strong form whilst the Finn aims to bounce back from a difficult race in Jeddah.

Click here to see our picks for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Drivers
Charles Leclerc – $21.1m
Sergio Perez – $18.1m
Fernando Alonso – $8.5m
Lance Stroll – $7.6m
Pierre Gasly – $8.2m

Constructors
Red Bull – $27.4m
Aston Martin – $6.8m

Total spent * – $98m
Current points total – 404

*Some driver values have since changed as a result of their performances

 

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Best F1 Fantasy team names

It’s still not too late to join in on the F1 Fantasy action, and to get you started, you’re going to need a good team name. Here’s some suggestions:

• Lando’wn Under
• Oscar Nominee
• Bottaston Villa
• Checo’d Flag
• Albon Jovi
• KEVIN!!!
• Yu-Ki-Go!
• Haas Ta La Vista
• King George the Fast
• Disapierre