The first of three second-half triple-headers kicks off in Baku amid a wave of upgrades and engine penalties. Max Verstappen enters the weekend with momentum, and his incredible record in Azerbaijan may be impossible to ignore. A few garages away, Ferrari could elect to take an engine penalty for Charles Leclerc, creating an intriguing opportunity for a recovery drive on Sunday.
Down the grid, the backmarkers we've relied on in recent weeks have racked up enough DNFs to make us question whether it's time to move on. This week's Fantasy Preview reveals who we're trusting at Baku and everything you need to know about a rare Saturday Grand Prix.
Verstappen's Baku Advantage
Max Verstappen's season has been a disappointment by his lofty standards — the four-time champion sits P6 in the drivers' standings and needs 147 points to catch Kimi Antonelli. In F1 Fantasy, however, Verstappen has established himself as an elite asset. He finished among the top two drivers in fantasy scoring in three of the last four races and leads all drivers with five Driver of the Day awards, which score 10 points apiece.
Verstappen enters this weekend with a strong record at Baku, including two wins and four straight top-5 finishes. Selected by just 0.8% of the top 500 players in the Global League, Verstappen stands out as a key differential to run alongside Antonelli on teams with four premium assets.
The top alternative to Verstappen is 2025 Baku runner-up, George Russell. The Briton stood on the podium in three of the last four Azerbaijan Grands Prix and enters this week as the betting favorite to finish P3 once again. While his teammate, Antonelli, leads all drivers in fantasy scoring, Russell finished within 10 fantasy points of his teammate in six of the last eight races. He remains one of the safest picks in the game at a circuit that should favor Mercedes once again.
Carlos Sainz fell off the fantasy radar as Williams struggled to keep pace with their midfield rivals in the development race. In anticipation of a major upgrade package at this weekend, Sainz looks to build on his impressive resume around the streets of Baku. His improbable P3 finish at this race last season marked the first time a Williams driver stood on the podium since 2021. At a difficult circuit for overtaking, Sainz is a boom-or-bust option in F1 Fantasy this weekend.
Leclerc's Rumored Penalty Shakes up Tier A
In the wake of Kimi Antonelli's record-breaking 93 fantasy points at Monza, the anticipation is rising as the next wave of frontrunners prepare for engine penalties. Charles Leclerc's ADUO2 engine, the second upgraded power unit under Formula 1's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities program, was potentially damaged in his crash at Monza. Ferrari are now faced with taking an engine penalty, and recent comments from Frédéric Vasseur suggest it could come as early as this weekend.
Speaking with Canal+ in Madrid, Vasseur said, “We’ll see when we have to take an engine penalty with Charles, but I think Baku should go quite well.” The opportunity for positions gained, overtakes, and Driver of the Day elevates Leclerc to elite-level upside if Ferrari elect to take the penalty at Baku. While Antonelli's record performance may be hard to match, more realistic comparisons include Lando Norris (40 points) and Isack Hadjar (38 points), who both took engine penalties at Spa.
Who to Trust at the Back of the Grid
Reliability at the back of the grid has become elusive in recent weeks. Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Pérez, all at the F1 Fantasy price floor of $3.0M, have combined for 21 DNFs this season. Stroll retired in seven out of his last nine races and ranks last with -122 fantasy points through Madrid. Fantasy strategists will need to think outside the box to avoid the 20-point Not Classified penalty.
The midfield drivers won't break the bank and come with significantly higher upside than the Cadillac or Aston Martin assets:
- Nico Hulkenberg ($4.2M): The Audi veteran is enjoying a resurgent second half, with three top-10 finishes in his last four races. After suffering a streak of poor reliability early in the season, Hulkenberg enters this weekend on a streak of five straight Grands Prix without a retirement.
- Alex Albon ($5.8M): After scoring 17 points at Monza, Albon needs just 2 points to gain $0.6M this weekend. Albon looks to take advantage of a long-awaited upgrade package, and betting lines project a P12 finish — a step forward for a driver that hasn't finished higher than P15 since Monaco.
- Oliver Bearman ($5.8M): After losing $0.6M for three straight races, Bearman becomes affordable once again. Haas continue to extract performance from their Monza upgrade package and remain one of the most reliable constructors, as Bearman and Ocon have combined for just four retirements.
A Rare Friday Lineup Lock
To avoid a clash with Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning, race organizers moved this weekend's events one day earlier:
- Thursday: Free Practice 1 (4:30AM EST/9:30AM BST), Free Practice 2 (8:00AM EST/1:00PM BST)
- Friday: Free Practice 3 (4:30AM EST/9:30AM BST), Qualifying (8:00AM EST/1:00PM BST)
- Saturday: Grand Prix (7:00AM/12PM BST)
Crucially, F1 Fantasy lineups lock on Friday before Qualifying begins. Players should plan their transfers ahead of this weekday lineup lock, especially if engine penalties shake up the running order. The Fantasy Formula is back to answer all of your questions ahead of the lineup lock deadline. The action begins one hour before Qualifying, this Friday at 7AM EST/12PM in the UK, only on the official FanAmp YouTube channel.
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