Kimi Antonelli has a chance to make Formula 1 history in Austin, but Max Verstappen has already taken the top spot in F1 Fantasy after a dominant win in Singapore. Can Mercedes close the gap to Red Bull and help Antonelli reclaim his status as the must-have 2X Boost?
This week's Fantasy Preview breaks down what the Silver Arrows need to do to fight back. Plus, Charles Leclerc arrives at Circuit of the Americas coming off an impressive P2 finish and his record in Austin suggests he can challenge for the podium once again.
The Road Back to No. 1
Kimi Antonelli can clinch his first World Championship in Austin, but his status as the top F1 Fantasy driver continues to slip away. He finished as the highest scoring driver just once over the last ten races and was outscored by Max Verstappen by a combined 48 points across Malaysia and Singapore.
Antonelli's upside at the United States Grand Prix hinges on the upgrade package Mercedes introduced two races ago. He ran the upgrades in Singapore while teammate, George Russell, fitted the older specification. Speaking to reporters after the race, Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin said, "By the end of the weekend, Kimi’s package was clearly the faster of the two which gives us confidence that we are heading in the right direction from a development perspective."
If the W17's aerodynamic improvements aren't enough to push Antonelli ahead of Verstappen, Mercedes will rely on the second installment of their Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO2) power unit upgrades. Recent reports suggest the latest specification could be available as early as this weekend. If Antonelli starts at the back of the grid, COTA's multiple overtaking opportunities could give him a path to a huge fantasy score.
COTA History
Max Verstappen looks for his third straight score of 50+ points at a circuit where he has remarkable consistency. He finished on the podium in seven straight United States Grands Prix and claimed victory in four out of the last five. As part of a Sprint weekend in 2023, Verstappen swept both races and scored 53 fantasy points.
The second highest scoring driver in Malaysia and Singapore, Charles Leclerc holds an impressive record in Austin that makes a strong case for a lineup spot this weekend. He stood on three of the last four COTA podiums, including a victory in 2024 that delivered 55 fantasy points. The lone exception was in 2023, when Leclerc started on pole and crossed the line P6, before being disqualified due to excessive skid plank wear.
In the midfield, Nico Hülkenberg looks to build on an impressive P8 finish at Marina Bay. He finished in the top 10 at COTA in four out of the last five years, with career-best P6 finishes in both 2013 and 2018. Hülkenberg holds the second longest active streak on the grid with six consecutive $0.6M price gains and can extend it with at least -12 points this weekend.
Weather Outlook
After rain threatened the last two race weekends, forecasts predict a hot and dry weekend in the Lone Star State. Temperatures below 30°C should limit heat-related reliability failures that normally make No Negative especially valuable. Players still holding the No Negative chip should continue to target Interlagos, where heavy and unpredictable rain could create a better opportunity to use it.
The Fantasy Formula will be on the ground in Austin this weekend with exclusive coverage from inside the Formula 1 paddock, the latest insights from the weekend, and our top lineup recommendations for the United States Grand Prix.
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