F1 FANTASY: Strategist Selection – What’s the best line-up for the Dutch Grand Prix?

The Dutch Grand Prix offers one of the most unique challenges on the Formula 1 calendar, with its tight, undulating layout and banked corners that can throw car set-ups into chaos. After a few weeks off for the summer break, our F1 Fantasy Strategist dusts off the playbook to evaluate the reliable fantasy picks for Zandvoort.

It’s never too late to join the free-to-play game and compete for the great prizes on offer every race week! New players will need to select five drivers and two constructors within the starting cost cap of $100 million.

In case you missed it, the Mid-season Masters Mini League is open for the Dutch Grand Prix too. The one-race league allows you to enter a team and play for the chance to win £2,000.

Keep your eyes peeled for other exciting mini leagues opening later in the F1 Fantasy season too, providing you with even more opportunities to play and win.

Ahead of every Grand Prix weekend, our F1 Fantasy Strategist evaluates seven in-game assets – five drivers and two teams – that will aid you in succeeding in F1 Fantasy, whether that’s eking out every point or maximising your budget.

With overtaking at a premium in Zandvoort, grid position is hyper-important. Targeting drivers who excel on Saturday could pay dividends, while tyre management and team strategy will be key when it comes to gaining, or holding, positions through the lap’s tricky high-speed sequences. There's a risk of inclement weather in the forecast to consider too...

Catch up on the Hungarian Grand Prix highlights below for a refresher of what happened last time out, and read on for more tips. Remember to lock in your teams before Qualifying starts on Saturday, August 30 at 1600 local time (1400 UTC).

Oscar Piastri ($26.4m)

Championship leader Oscar Piastri is back on the menu in the Netherlands as a standout F1 Fantasy asset.

The Australian represents the second-best value-for-money asset in F1 Fantasy, worth 1.44 points per $1 million spent at an affordable $26.4m.

The third-year driver has outscored his nearest F1 Fantasy rival, team mate Lando Norris ($31.4m), in four of the last five races, despite only winning once in that window compared to Norris’ three race victories.

Remarkably, Piastri has scored double-digit F1 Fantasy points in 40 consecutive races dating back to Las Vegas 2023 and remains a compelling 2x DRS Boost candidate in Zandvoort because of this unmatched consistency.

Kimi Antonelli ($15.9m)

Kimi Antonelli had a challenging few races leading up to the summer break after a blistering start to his Formula 1 career.

The young Italian recorded four DNFs across a six-race span between Emilia Romagna and Great Britain, but looks to have turned the corner with scores of 21 and 10 fantasy points in Belgium and Hungary, respectively.

Although the rookie has struggled for consistency across the season, his attainable price point for many players makes him an attractive differential at 19% ownership.

Antonelli requires 26 fantasy points for a maximum $0.6m price rise in Zandvoort, which is well within reach for him, having scored 20+ points five times this season.

Fernando Alonso ($7.5m)

Much like on track, Fernando Alonso continues to outperform expectations in F1 Fantasy.

Aston Martin’s veteran racer has secured double-digit fantasy scores in four of the last six races, good for the eighth-highest F1 Fantasy average per race weekend in that span.

The Spaniard has increased $0.6m in value in five consecutive races and looks set to repeat the feat once again if he can score at least three fantasy points in Zandvoort.

Alonso finished on the podium here in 2023 in wet conditions. With rain in the forecast this weekend, could history repeat itself?

Gabriel Bortoleto ($4.5m)

For anyone that followed the Strategist’s advice in Hungary, Gabriel Bortoleto was touted as an exceptional long-term hold and he’s proving to be exactly that.

The Brazilian served up 24 points in F1 Fantasy at the Hungarian Grand Prix with a career-best P6 race result and Driver of the Day.

The Kick Sauber racer failed to score a single point in the Drivers’ Championship between Australia and Canada but has since finished inside the top 10 at every race where he has made it to the chequered flag.

Bortoleto is a must-buy asset among the budget-friendly drivers this week.

Liam Lawson ($4.5m)

An average of 9.5 fantasy points across Belgium and Hungary make Liam Lawson a ready-made budget-enabling asset at Zandvoort.

As many F1 Fantasy players with higher budgets pivot towards line-ups with two premium driver and constructor assets each, the Kiwi driver is perfect to help enable that.

The Racing Bulls driver has scored nine or more fantasy points in four of the last six race weekends and will look to build on this as his confidence soars.

Needing to score at least -2 F1 Fantasy points to rise $0.6m in value, Lawson is a great asset for the foreseeable future at this price.

Other drivers to monitor: Lando Norris, George Russell

McLaren ($34.2m)

McLaren have been almost unstoppable on track this season and have been the premier F1 Fantasy asset to own through 14 race weekends so far.

In Hungary last time out, the Woking-based team recorded their fourth score of 100 or more fantasy points this season after a fourth consecutive 1-2 finish.

Additionally, McLaren achieved two identical season-best pit stops in Hungary at 1.94 seconds each – the first for Lando Norris on Lap 32 and the second for Oscar Piastri on Lap 46 – to secure a 25-point bonus from pit stops at the Hungaroring.

The Papaya outfit continue to unearth new ways of maximising their points ceiling in F1 Fantasy, which is why this asset continues to be a set-and-forget option in F1 Fantasy for 2025.

Ferrari ($30.3m)

Ferrari posted 39 points in F1 Fantasy in Hungary – a solid score in isolation but, compared to their season average of 50.9, well off their best.

Reassuringly however, the Scuderia were the highest-scoring team (excluding McLaren) in every race between Monaco and Belgium.

They continue to be a force when it comes to pit stops too, leading all teams and averaging 10.4 points per race in this point-scoring metric.

At race weekends where other top teams have faltered in stringing together consistent weekends, Ferrari’s experienced driver pairing has demonstrated they are a reliable source of points week-to-week.

Other constructors to monitor: Aston Martin, Mercedes

As always, be sure to keep a close eye on the earlier sessions to help guide your decisions for drivers and teams in the lead up to the team lock deadline.