F1 Fantasy: Attention Turns to the Austrian GP

Which teams are looking to move up in Austria?

Ferrari has had multiple strong performances in Austria lately, with Charles Leclerc finishing on the podium in 2025 and winning the Grand Prix in 2022. From 2023-2025, Leclerc scored 24 F1 Fantasy points on average per race in Austria. After his teammate Lewis Hamilton won for the first time with the Scuderia in Barcelona last race weekend, Leclerc will be eager to see himself back at the top of the podium. Speaking of Hamilton, he scored 22 F1 Fantasy points in his first race for Ferrari in Spielberg last year which is promising. Whatsmore, Ferrari qualified for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) for their engine this year and they are expected to bring their first major power upgrade to Austria. Ferrari’s upgrades have all worked well thus far, and if they can close the horsepower gap to Mercedes, paddock rumors suggest they might have a best-in-class chassis and be contenders for the win at all circuits.

Red Bull is a team that has struggled so far this season, but they’re looking to turn it around in Austria. They are reportedly bringing a major weight-saving upgrade package in an effort to shave off some lap time. Max Verstappen himself has historically had a strong showing in Austria, with 22 F1 Fantasy points each year on average here from 2023-2025, but has not been without his fair share of issues. He won the Grand Prix in 2023, the Sprint in 2024, and qualified seventh in 2025 before unfortunately being taken out in the opening lap by Kimi Antonelli. The question for Max is whether he will finally shake the performance issues plaguing him like they did in Monaco.

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What about Mercedes reliability?

The strong Mercedes PU has made waves recently with both its performance and reliability—Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, and Lando Norris all faced one or multiple mechanical DNFs so far this season which is a painful -20 F1 Fantasy points. Recently, Mercedes technical director James Allison stated that the team discovered the cause for these DNF’s. The rumor is that the batteries are sensitive to high temperatures and following cars closely in dirty air.

Air temperatures in Spielberg are projected to be around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29^oC) on race day, which means track temperatures will be even hotter in the sun. 

Then there is the dirty air question. In the last three years, Austria has averaged 4.5 overtakes per driver per race, putting the Red Bull Ring near the top of the F1 overtake charts. That means cars can actually pass here, minimizing the dirty air penalty. Furthermore, George Russell averaged 4.6 overtakes in the past three races, proving he’s capable of fighting through the pack with his Mercedes. Unless he puts it on pole and stays there, Russell will inevitably be back in midfield traffic. The real question is whether Mercedes’ has pinpointed the issue and whether their mitigation plans, and drivers’ capabilities, are enough to escape the traffic and avoid DNFs and the -20 F1 Fantasy point penalty that comes with them.

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What about the rookies?

There’s been much chatter about the 2025 and 2026 rookie Formula 1 class, with Kimi Antonelli sitting firmly at the top with five stunning race wins and the decisive Drivers’ Championship lead. While his F1 career has been brief so far, he has raced at Austria before, and I mentioned earlier he erased his eighth place qualifying position when a lockup sent him into the back of Verstappen’s Red Bull and ended his race. He scored -18 F1 Fantasy points on the weekend. Thankfully, Antonelli has been far less crash prone so far this year and will be looking to bounce back after a mechanical failure in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Liam Lawson is a young driver that performed exceptionally well last year in Austria, with his sixth place finish for Racing Bulls and 13 F1 Fantasy points. He’s also scored points at four races this year, so I expect a repeat performance this go around. Lawson is owned by 30% of all F1 Fantasy players.

Lawson’s teammate, Arvid Lindblad, was involved in a scary three-car rollover crash in the F2 Sprint Race last year. We may see him be more conservative at the beginning of the weekend, but with three full practice sessions he should get back to top form assuming Racing Bulls can dial in their setup.

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What does this mean for F1 Fantasy teams?

F1 Fantasy team managers will want to take into account weather, track conditions, and more when making their selections for Austria. This will be the venue’s first time without a Sprint Race in recent years, so teams will have ample practice time to dial in their setups and test out any new upgrades they bring. Ferrari’s upgrade might be all they need to put two drivers on the podium this time, and the track layout with four straight mode zones and a root cause for their mechanical issues is looking positive for Mercedes so long as they can control the heat (and pressure). As for rookies, I’m confident Antonelli is ready to go, so I’ll be keeping an eye on practice times for Lindblad and Lawson.

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Cover photo credit to Red Bull Content Pool / Philip Platzer / Red Bull Ring.

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