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What Are Overtakes?
In F1 Fantasy, overtakes level the playing field between elite drivers and the rest of the grid. Each overtake converted earns 1 fantasy point for the driver and their respective constructor. To put into perspective how critical overtakes are to a driver's score, Nico Hulkenberg finished the 2025 season with 147 fantasy points and 106 overtakes. This category alone constituted 72% of his season total.
Here's how the Game Rules define overtakes:
Overtakes are considered valid when one driver legally passes another on track, and the driver passed was not entering or in the pit lane or suffering a car failure or going unreasonably slow.
A driver also earns 1 point for every position gained from their starting position. Overtakes are the most common reason for a driver to gain positions, but positions gained are also the result of overcuts and undercuts in the pit lane as well as penalties. At the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen gained 16 positions and completed 13 overtakes after starting the race from the pit lane. His 29 points from overtakes and positions gained were more than 15 drivers scored during the entire Sprint weekend.
Where Do The Most Overtakes Occur?
While it remains unclear how the 2026 regulations will impact wheel-to-wheel racing, several circuits consistently produce the most action. These tracks usually feature long straights with heavy braking zones, high-grip surfaces, and enough width to allow multiple cars to fight for track position.
Six circuits finished above the median overtake total in each of the last three seasons: Miami, Austria, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Mexico, and Zandvoort. Among them, Mexico and Abu Dhabi finished in the top five circuits all three seasons and stand out as the best races for overtakes. In 2025, Abu Dhabi delivered the top three overtaking performances of the season as Lewis Hamilton (16), Lance Stroll (14), and Nico Hulkenberg (13) posted huge scores in F1 Fantasy.
The Chinese Grand Prix deserves honorable mention in this group, since it finished among the top overtaking circuits in 2024 and 2025 but was cancelled in 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A second group of circuits finished above the median overtake total in two of the last three seasons: Austin, Canada, Las Vegas, Qatar, Japan. Pre-race rain reduced the mechanical grip at the 2025 Japanese and Las Vegas Grands Prix, resulting in unusually low overtake totals. In addition, the 25-lap limit per tire stint at the Qatar Grand Prix produced a processional race. Unless this mandate changes in 2026, Qatar could lose its status as an overtaking hotspot.
Why Do Overtakes Matter For The Limitless Chip?
As one of the most powerful chips in F1 Fantasy, Limitless grants unlimited free transfers and removes the cost cap, allowing players to stack the best drivers and constructors in the game. Midfield drivers typically log the most overtakes, closing the gap to the top drivers, but that advantage shrinks at circuits where overtaking is limited. At low-overtake circuits, Limitless teams stacked with elite assets can greatly outscore regular lineups that rely on midfield and backmarker drivers.
Among the Top 500 teams in the Global League last season, a whopping 48.6% used Limitless at Monaco, home to the fewest overtakes each of the last three seasons. Belgium (5.6%) and Saudi Arabia (4.8%) were both popular Limitless decisions among the Top 500 and consistently ranked among the bottom third for overtakes. These three circuits emerge as the best opportunities to maximize the value of Limitless in 2026.
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