Fantasy Preview: Bahrain Grand Prix

New Price Gain Targets

As the scores from the season opener in Australia fall off the three-race average used to calculate price changes, a new crop of drivers stands out for this weekend. Isack Hadjar scored 19 points over his last two races and needs to score more than -2 points in Bahrain for a $0.6M price increase. The French rookie scored his first top 10 finish last weekend in Japan and sports the lowest price on the grid - he becomes a must-have driver instantly. Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman each need more than 3 points for a $0.6M increase after two strong races and also carry an affordable price tag.

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Gabriel Bortoleto reached the price floor of $4.5M after Japan, so while he projects for another low scoring week his low price allows strategists to afford more expensive assets with no risk of further price drops.

Coming off the menu this week, Nico Hulkenberg scored a whopping 3 points between China and Japan and needs to score more than 11 points to avoid a $0.6M price decrease. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll leads all drivers in total price gained this season but needs to score an unlikely 17 points to gain $0.6M in his fourth consecutive race.

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The First Meta Lineup Emerges

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The shift from Hulkenberg and Stroll to Hadjar and Doohan opens up $7.8M, which unlocks the first meta lineup of the season. Oscar Piastri has matched Lando Norris's fantasy output over the last two races and the Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman continue to provide solid scores with price gain potential.

The constructor pairing delivers the biggest benefit of all, allowing strategists to run the top two teams in the game. While the Haas constructor's price may grow an additional $0.3M this week, Mercedes scored 172 more points through the first three races - the scoring gap greatly outweights the cost cap benefit. Run this lineup for its high scoring potential and the strong likelihood of a $2M+ price gain.

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Weather Outlook

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Finally, a dry weekend! No need to bring out No Negative or Autopilot this weekend but the high temperatures warrant some attention. Mercedes thrived in the cooler temperatures to start the season but the scorching temperatures in Sakhir could even the playing field for Ferrari and Red Bull. The post-FP2 simulations will be critical this weekend.

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Betting Lines

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McLaren open the week as 1-2 favorites and Piastri's line indicates how close sports books consider him to Norris. Verstappen's win in Japan earns him the next best odds, and further down the order Alex Albon and Isack Hadjar round out the top 10 after impressive outings last weekend.

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Driver and Constructor Tier List

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The top midfield drivers shook up after Japan, with many assets moving to the Sell category. Lando Norris needs a top-2 finish plus Fastest Lap to earn a $0.3M price increase so he moves to the Fence. Kimi Antonelli continued his hot start last week and joins the Buy category this week. Haas and Racing Bulls continue to provide cost cap growth but with much lower scoring potential.

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The Fantasy Formula returns to answer your lineup questions one hour before the start of Qualifying, this Saturday at 11AM EST/4PM 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!