Fantasy Preview: Singapore Grand Prix

Verstappen Surging

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Since Red Bull introduced a new floor at Monza, Max Verstappen has returned to his unstoppable form. The reigning World Champion won each of the last two races from pole position while scoring 91 fantasy points. Title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri combined to score just 58 points over the same period, fueled by Piastri's disastrous lap 1 DNF at Baku.

Verstappen presents an intriguing DRS Boost differential this weekend while teams with Piastri, Verstappen, McLaren, and Mercedes start at $131.8M. The Dutchman finished second here last season and looks to win his third race in a row. Monza and Baku were both low downforce races with cooler temperatures that minimized tire degradation, whereas Singapore presents a twisting street circuit with high temperatures even in the nighttime sessions. Watch Free Practice carefully as we assess if Red Bull's latest upgrade works in a vastly different environment.

The Red Bull constructor won its third Fastest Pit Stop in the last six races and if Yuki Tsunoda regains his early season form, this asset could usurp Ferrari as the second constructor in many lineups moving forward.

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Looking Ahead: Austin Sprint Weekend

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The first Sprint weekend since July takes place in two weeks at Circuit of the Americas. Of the three remaining Sprint weekends, COTA stands out for its dry weather, moderate temperatures, and recent history of success for top drivers. 2024 USGP winner Charles Leclerc will likely be a popular choice in 4A lineups for this race. Lineup decisions for Singapore this weekend will impact the budget, free transfers, and initial lineup for the United States Grand Prix as many teams look to use the Extra DRS Boost chip.

When preparing for COTA, consider two elements of lineup strategy:

1. Budget Building - The cheapest PIA/LEC/MCL/FER lineup costs $130.3M but that includes both Alpine drivers. To avoid Gasly and Colapinto in such a lineup costs $133.1M and only elite budgets can afford this luxury. Consider starting drivers this weekend with a low threshold to gain $0.6M such as Carlos Sainz (-15), Liam Lawson (-1), and Gabriel Bortoleto (2) in a final push for a strong 4A team by COTA.

2. Free Transfers - With so many tempting alternatives for this weekend (including Verstappen, Russell, Mercedes, and Red Bull), make sure to leave enough Free Transfers to pivot into a 4A build for COTA. Alex Albon featured on 66.8% of the Top 500 teams, which means many of these players will need at least two Free Transfers to bring in Leclerc and cheaper assets. To avoid a transfer penalty, consider rolling an unused transfer into the next race or bring cheaper assets into your lineup one race early (for example, Gasly and Lawson).

Modeling several lineups, budget outcomes, and free transfer scenarios for the next two races will help ensure you have the budget and transfers to reach the ideal lineup for a pivotal Sprint weekend.

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Weather Outlook

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A humid weekend awaits at Marina Bay as thunderstorms are expected throughout the weekend. Rain could wash away the rubber laid down in practice and increase the risk of incidents later in the weekend. If the rain holds off during the competitive sessions the hot temperatures that persist into the evening will likely increase the rate of tire degradation and add a new strategic challenge.

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Betting Lines

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The opening lines for Singapore respect Max Verstappen's two-race winning streak, as he sits atop the odds table with Lando Norris. Double Williams in the Top 10 confirms that Vegas believes the FW47 can secure points even at low downforce circuits. For the first time since Imola, Yuki Tsunoda is projected to finish in the points, a true testament to the improvements made by Red Bull in recent weeks.

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The Fantasy Formula returns to answer your lineup questions one hour before Qualifying, this Saturday at 8AM EST/1PM BST, only on the official FanAmp YouTube channel. See you there!

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