Fantasy Preview: Chinese Grand Prix

Pricing Predicaments

Several drivers and constructors lost $0.6M in value after Australia, prompting calls for more visibility into how price changes are determined. The F1 Fantasy Tools Discord community worked quickly to decipher the calculation before Australia. All the details are included in our 2025 Cost Cap Guide, but here's a summary of how the pricing structure works:

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The three-race average continues to skew unfavorably in China, since it will include the data from Australia plus one "imaginary race" where all assets scored 0 points. Based on this information, any midfield or backmarker driver that DNF'd in Australia may lose additional value after China, including Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Jack Doohan. Consider swapping drivers off the back of a DNF with the high performers from Australia to take advantage of potential price increases this week:

• Jack Doohan for Oliver Bearman
• Fernando Alonso for Esteban Ocon or Nico Hulkenberg
• Carlos Sainz for Alex Albon

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A discussion on which chips to deploy this weekend is up next but remember, price changes to teams that use Limitless in China will be based on their Australia lineups, so be sure to make chip decisions with potential price changes in mind.

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Chip Considerations

The two most popular chips for this weekend will surely include Wildcard and Limitless. The Wildcard chip allows us to make unlimited free transfers and fully reset after a difficult weekend in Australia (looking at you, teams with Carlos Sainz and Williams!). China provided the highest fantasy scores last season and on a Sprint weekend with three scoring events, selecting the right lineup will play an important role in our Global League rankings moving forward. Some teams may use Wildcard to focus on cost cap growth and model their approach after 2024 champion, Andrew Harris. Speaking to The Fantasy Formula last season, Andrew shared his secret to success, which included a focus on building his team's value early in the season.

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Another popular choice, the Limitless chip removes the cost cap and transfer limit to enable powerful lineups. Elite teams scored 456 points using Limitless at China last season due to the predictability of the grid and high overtake totals. Since lineups lock at the start of the Sprint race, players can watch Sprint Qualifying before committing to the chip. The Chinese Grand Prix was moved to an earlier slot on the 2025 F1 calendar, so if the running order is unclear after Sprint Qualifying, Miami provides the next great opportunity to deploy Limitless.

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Weather Outlook

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The forecast calls for a much-needed dry weekend, with an ambient temperature that suits most constructors. At this time, chips that buffer against inclemate weather such as No Negative or Autopilot should remain holstered for this week.

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Betting Lines

The opening lines on BetMGM continue to favor McLaren and predict a bounce back race from Ferrari. The current line for both Williams drivers suggests their Australia pace will continue. For Limitless teams, consider betting odds when selecting your lineups rather than recent performance since Australia and China are very different circuits.

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Driver and Constructor Tier Rankings

Stay tuned - this will be updated after this week's episode of The Fantasy Formula is live!

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The Fantasy Formula returns to answer your lineup questions ahead of the Sprint race at a time to be announced soon, 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!