F1 Fantasy: Overtake Trends from the First Three Races of 2026

Total Overtakes Up Over 150%

Total overtakes per race have risen significantly in the first three races of 2026. The Australian Grand Prix went from 45 overtakes in 2025 to 120 in 2026, the Chinese Grand Prix doubled to 146 overtakes, and the Japanese Grand Prix, the race with the second lowest overtakes of any race in 2025, saw that figure jump 279% to 106, proving that the new regulations affect even low-overtake circuits.

‍

Total overtakes per race:

‍

Each driver is earning, on average, three additional F1 Fantasy overtake points per race so far in 2026 then they did in 2025. For players, this means that drivers are gaining budget faster. Since the algorithm that determines how many points a driver needs to gain budget hasn’t changed, the increase in overtake points can help drivers even when they have a bad weekend. For example, Ollie Bearman DNF’d in Japan on Lap 22, but before that he had still made six overtakes worth six F1 Fantasy points. He only needed -23 F1 Fantasy points to gain 0.6M in price, so he was able to reach his target for the price gains even after taking a -20 point penalty for the DNF.

‍

Top Ten Overtakers This Season

Not all drivers are created equal. Max Verstappen is leading the way with 51 overtakes thus far across three races. This can be easily explained—he’s having the worst qualifying start to his career at Red Bull, failing to make Q3 simply on pace during two of the first three race weekends. He’s also struggled with the new start procedure, meaning that he’s often ended lap 1 down positions and fighting to climb back up. It’s been a personally disappointing start to the season for Verstappen and Red Bull both, and he only has 77 F1 Fantasy points total this year, including the negative 20 points he took for an unfortunate DNF in China. However, he’s earned 51 points alone from overtakes, so that can be seen as a bright spot in the midst of a tough season for F1 Fantasy managers with Verstappen on their team.

The Ferrari-powered cars, on the other hand, have gained many of their overtake points in the opening laps of the race. Hamilton and Leclerc have done their fair share of wheel-to-wheel racing this year as they fought for podium positions, and Ocon and Bearman have often been racing above their station and scoring solid points for Haas. Ferrari have scored 60 overtake points this year, while Haas have scored 67. 

VCARB is another team that's consistently scored well in F1 Fantasy due to overtakes–37% of their F1 Fantasy points this year come from that category. Lindblad and Lawson have scored 26 and 24 F1 Fantasy overtake points respectively, which is more than the championship points that either of them have.

Given their strong overtaking performance, having the VCARB drivers, Haas drivers, or Ferrari drivers on your F1 Fantasy team can add about ten points per race just from overtakes alone.

‍

Drivers with the most overtakes so far in 2026 (first 3 races):

‍

The Five Drivers Struggling for Overtakes

At the bottom of the overtake list are some names that may surprise you considering their strong performances last season. Lance Stroll holds the bottom spot, with only 10 overtakes to his name as the team struggles to finish a race due to engine troubles. Both McLarens are in a similar position, with Lando Norris barely edging out Oscar Piastri 14 to 11. We expect their overtake figures to rebound once the team figures out its car.

‍

Drivers with the fewest overtakes so far in 2026 (first 3 races):

‍

Will These Overtake Trends Last?

Drivers are averaging three more overtakes per race than they did in 2025, but these “yo-yo” style races might not last. Many drivers, including previous champions such as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, have expressed disdain for overtaking in these new regulations, calling them "artificial". The FIA and F1 teams are set to discuss remedies in the coming weeks, with any agreed-upon changes coming as early as the Miami Grand Prix. Additionally, as teams further develop their cars, dirty air might prove to be a bigger problem and following could become harder.

Ultimately, until we know more, having a team with a high number of overtakes (e.g., Ferrari, Haas, VCARB) this early in the season can be a big advantage. It’s no coincidence then that Ferrari, Haas, and VCARB are actually the three most picked teams in F1 Fantasy as of now. Until that advantage wears out, if you don’t have one of these teams yet I’d recommend getting them as soon as possible.