Ahead of the Formula 1 2026 season opener in Melbourne, Motorsport.com is returning to the world of F1 Fantasy with its own featured league.
As the new campaign throws up plenty of unknowns that will be revealed layer by layer in Australia and beyond, our F1 writers have carefully tried to handpick their ideal fantasy team, and you can compete against them by joining the Motorsport.com - Race Our Experts league HERE.
Accessible to both die-hard fans and newcomers, F1 Fantasy is easy to learn but harder to master. Just like F1 teams themselves, a budget cap means you can't just select an all-star team at every round. Instead, you'll have to carefully weigh up the pros and cons of splurging on pre-season favourite George Russell or hedging your bets as you come up with your ideal outfit of five drivers and two constructors.
Adding more elements to the mix, you get to select a "boost" at every race to double the score of a driver of your choosing, as well as selection of "chips" or modifiers that can yield valuable bonus points.
If you have not played F1 Fantasy before, you can find all the info you need on how to play right HERE. The deadline to finalise your team is the start of qualifying.
This week, our F1 writer in Melbourne Filip Cleeren reveals his first pick of the new campaign.
"Because it's the first race of a brand-new set of regulations with little reliable data to go by, this is probably one of the most difficult weekends for F1 fantasy players. I am still proverbially buying George Russell and Mercedes stocks, but the identity of the rest of the team has received a makeover over the past 24 hours. My initial line-up doubled down on Haas and Alpine, but after Friday practice I got cold feet as neither team had a particularly trouble-free or impressive day.
"I have gone cold on Alpine - at least for Melbourne - and instead I have hedged my bets by sprinkling in some Audi and Racing Bulls. From the four top teams Isack Hadjar is the most cost-effective pick, and I've liked what I have seen so far from Red Bull's latest second seat occupant. That wide spread means it's unlikely Australia will yield a monster score, but I'm also less likely to start with a total dud. We're playing the long game here with such an elongated season ahead."
Photos from Australian GP - Friday
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
Australian GP - Friday, in photos
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