How to Play Daily Fantasy Formula 1
The first step towards playing fantasy Formula 1 is to learn the rules. As we have mentioned earlier, you will need to create your own team consisting of a constructor, which is one of the Formula 1 teams [3], and five drivers, one of whom you pick as captain that will bring you 1.5x the rewards but also cost 1.5x more.
Of course, you are not required to be an expert to make a good team, but knowledge in the sport will improve your odds. Each driver has their stats that you can view during the picking phase. You create a different team for each event/tournament, and rules can vary a bit depending on which daily fantasy Formula 1 site you join.
The Draft
You begin playing either on your computer or downloading one of the fantasy Formula 1 apps by drafting your team. Depending on the league that you join, you can be required to select a new team after a set period of time, like in a re-draft league. As mentioned earlier, you will need five drivers and a constructor.
- Five drivers – One of which is selected as captain costs 1.5 times more but brings 1.5 times more points.
- Constructor – You pick one of the Formula 1 teams.
Here is where real Formula 1 knowledge can help you tremendously, as not all drivers and constructors are made the same. Some of the most frequently picked F1 drivers[2] are Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Sergio Perez. There are more factors to consider, but we will cover them in the next sections.
The way scoring is made can depend on the format of the fantasy Formula 1 league or even based on the site that you join. As we have mentioned before, in order to score points, your driver needs to finish in the top 10. Below, we will showcase the scoring in DraftKings as it is the most popular platform for Formula 1 DFS.
Driver Scoring:
- Position – 1 to 25 points – for example – 5th position gives 10 points.
- Fastest Lap of the race – 3 points.
- Leading Laps – 0.1 points per leading lap during the race.
- Overtaking Teammate – 5 points.
- Finishing – 1 point – for being classified at the finish.
- Finish vs Grid Position – +2 to +5 or -2 to -5 points – if you finish three/five/ten spots higher or lower than your grid position.
Constructor Scoring:
- Position – 1 to 25 points – for example – 1st position gives 25 points.
- Fastest Lap of the race – 3 points.
- Leading Laps – 0.1 points per leading lap during the race.
- Both Team Cars Finish – 2 – 5 points – for example – if both cars finish 10th position or better +5 points.
- Podium Finish – 3 points – if both cards finish on the podium (1st, 2nd and 3rd).
For players who come from other fantasy sports, this can be a bit confusing, but only at first. As you can see, you get points from both your driver and constructor scorings. Of course, these can vary depending on the league and platform. Let's move on with more details on how to start your first fantasy Formula 1 race.
Before Gameday
Here, we would like to talk about preparation. It is crucial that you pick the best possible team of drivers and constructors to face the challenges of the coming race week. One of the main factors you should consider is the track type, which can affect how hard passing will be and the likelihood of drivers wrecking. Some drivers actually excel on a particular type of track.
A great tip is to take practice sessions seriously as it can help you better fine-tune your lineup for each particular session of the league. If you are in a re-draft league, you must check and manage your lineups weekly. That is why it is crucial to know the schedule and when each race will take place.
Factors to consider:
- Consider the track type – for example, proper circuit, street course, or hybrid.
- Pick the best drivers – some drivers are better on certain types of tracks.
- Show up for practice sessions – this can help you fine-tune your lineups.
- Consider stacking the constructor team with your top driver.
- Grid position
- Learn the schedule
Again, we would like to emphasize that the more knowledge you have about the sport, the better you will do. As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider before the fantasy Formula 1 league is even started. There are a lot of challenges to go through, and probably the biggest one is your lineup of drivers, so pick carefully.