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In 2025, Formula 1 elevated the F1 Fantasy experience with clean, forward-thinking updates that made the game more engaging than ever. Predictable price changes introduced a new strategic element to weekly team selections, increases to pit stop points led to more excitement every time a driver changes tires, and improved game performance on the F1 app reduced one of the most frustrating elements from previous seasons.
To me, though, the consistency of Mini Leagues stood out because it showed a clear emphasis on keeping fans engaged all season long. Six Mini Leagues spanning from Imola to Abu Dhabi and covering 14 Grand Prix weekends allowed fans to connect with the sport in shorter intervals than the season-long Global League.
For players whose championship hopes faded in the early stage of the season, these Mini Leagues breathed new life into the game and provided more opportunities to win prizes. Some strategists even concocted strategies to position themselves for success in these two-to-three race events by building a big budget on their Team 2 and Team 3 over the first several races. 2024 Global League Champion Andrew Harris amassed a remarkable $151M entering the final Mini League for Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The key to success for these leagues was twofold. First, Formula 1 secured the four most popular teams in the sport to host their own Mini League: Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. By capturing the largest fan bases in the game, an influx of new players entered the game early on. The Ferrari and McLaren leagues each sported over 100,000 players in the first two Mini Leagues of the season.
Second, the leagues offered unique prizes that attracted attention to the game. McLaren gave one lucky player a VIP tour of the McLaren Plus Technology Centre, Alpine coordinated a virtual meet and greet with one of its drivers, while Red Bull provided a complete replica race suit. Formula 1 sponsored its own Mini League, the one-race Midseason Masters, where the winner took home the game’s first ever cash prize of £2,000.
This initiative by Formula 1 and its teams gave fans new ways to connect with the sport and opened F1 Fantasy to a broader audience through approachable short-term contests. With more than 2.75 million teams entered in 2025 – an all-time record – and continued investments in Mini Leagues, F1 Fantasy is positioned for even greater growth in 2026.
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