Fantasy Preview: Austrian Grand Prix

Mercedes Stock Rises

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A dark horse constructor entering Canada, Mercedes immediately turned heads in Free Practice 1 and 2. The fantasy community was divided on whether Mercedes could outshine Ferrari but believers in the Silver Arrows were rewarded with 87 fantasy points - the highest Mercedes score in three seasons. George Russell took his maiden win of 2025, while Kimi Antonelli celebrated his first podium in a promising young career. Ferrari, meanwhile finished just behind in P5 and P6 for 57 fantasy points.

Looking ahead to this weekend, the biggest question is whether Mercedes can repeat the feat. Recent history suggests that, like Canada, Austria also presents ideal running conditions for Mercedes. In 2024, Mercedes shocked the paddock with 74 points in Canada only to follow that up with 76 points in Austria, but notably last year's event was a Sprint weekend. Russell's form in Canada hints that a repeat performance is possible this weekend.

Teams with a MCL-MER-PIA base start for a little as $102M, MCL-MER-PIA-ANT teams at $115.2M, while MCL-MER-PIA-RUS builds start at $118.9M. The last price seems crazy but some players can already afford it!

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Don't Count Out Mad Max

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While the defending champion needs to avoid trouble this weekend to stave off a race ban, Max Verstappen's form in Austria is undeniable. Verstappen claimed pole position in each of the last 5 races here, including both the Austrian and Styrian Grands Prix of 2021, and finished in the top 2 in all but one of those races. That race, last year's thrilling battle with Lando Norris, ended in a late collision that demoted Verstappen to P5.

In addition to his success at this circuit, Verstappen leads the grid in Driver of the Day award wins with 3. A home race for Red Bull, staying out of trouble to avoid additional penalty points, and a race win could propel Verstappen to another 10 points for DOTD.

A quick warning to those with small budgets: Verstappen will likely lose $0.1M this weekend since he needs 60 for a $0.3M gain and 33 for a $0.3M gain (which he's done just three times this season) but he provides a strong scoring differential to the meta lineup.

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Weather Outlook

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The initial forecast calls for warmer temperatures than Canada, a factor to consider if pivoting to Mercedes. Saturday's rain is currently projected to fall in the evening after Qualifying so all competitive sessions should be dry. Barring any changes, No Negative and Autopilot can wait for another weekend.

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Betting Lines

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While the top three remain unchanged from recent weeks, the Mercedes-Ferrari-Mercedes-Ferrari pattern indicates that Vegas initially prefers Mercedes leading up to Free Practice. Fernando Alonso's recent form has earned him another favorable line as he looks to secure another $0.6M for F1 Fantasy strategists.

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Driver and Constructor Tier List

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The Fantasy Formula returns to answer your lineup questions one hour before the start of Qualifying, this Saturday at 9AM EST/2PM BST, only on the official FanAmp YouTube channel. Be sure to head over to the FanAmp app to share your lineup in The Fantasy Formula base and have it reviewed during the broadcast. See you there!