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

Formula 1 arrives in Abu Dhabi for the grand finale of the season, and Yas Marina could not be a more dramatic stage for a title showdown. With the World Drivers’ Championship still up for grabs and the top three – Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri – separated by just 16 points, every lap, pit stop and strategy call carries enormous weight on track and in F1 Fantasy.

As the pressure builds under the floodlights, Abu Dhabi’s blend of technical low-speed corners, long straights and rapidly improving grip will test drivers’ precision and adaptability. The circuit rewards smooth execution, tyre discipline and late-season composure, providing a fitting backdrop for a winner-takes-all showdown in F1 Fantasy.

Even with the last round of the season upon us, it is still not 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.

The Alpine Desert Dash mini-league also enters its final week, giving managers one last chance to join and compete for exciting prizes, including the winner getting a virtual meet and greet with Pierre Gasly or Franco Colapinto.

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

Abu Dhabi is a venue where Qualifying tends to shape the race, with a high emphasis on tyre management as the track rubbers in through the evening. Drivers with strong one-lap pace and teams with steady long-run form are often the safest hands with everything on the line.

Given how tightly matched the three Championship protagonists are heading into Abu Dhabi, the Strategist has considered an unconventional line-up structure this week to uncover new opportunities for players to score points, determine their 2X DRS Boost driver and climb their mini-league ranks.

Catch up on the Qatar Grand Prix highlights below and remember to lock in your teams before Qualifying begins on Saturday, December 6 at 1800 local time (1400 UTC).

Lando Norris ($30.3m)

A victory in the Qatar Grand Prix would have secured Lando Norris the Drivers’ Championship – but he may have to wait one more week to lift the trophy after only managing P4 last time out.

The McLaren racer has five consecutive front-row Grand Prix starts and is tied with Max Verstappen, his closest title rival only 12 Championship points adrift, for the most pole positions this season (7).

If Norris finishes on the podium at Yas Marina, he is World Champion. He leads all drivers this season in Grand Prix podiums (17) – a very promising sign.

The Briton secured pole position and the Grand Prix victory in the final race of 2024 and will be targeting much the same to secure his maiden Drivers’ Championship.

Max Verstappen ($30.1m)

The Qatar Grand Prix served as another reminder that Max Verstappen is inevitable – despite starting P3 in the Grand Prix, the Dutchman capitalised on a McLaren strategy error and charged towards his 70th career win, bringing him to within 12 points of rival Lando Norris ($30.3m) in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Red Bull driver is arguably the most in-form title contender, notching five Grand Prix victories in his last eight race weekends.

Most encouragingly for his chances, the 28-year-old has converted pole position to a Grand Prix victory at Yas Marina circuit all four times he has started P1. The polesitter in Abu Dhabi has gone on to win the last ten Grands Prix at this circuit.

With the title at stake and Verstappen needing to deliver a masterclass across the weekend to land on the top step, expect nothing less from the four-time World Champion.

Oscar Piastri ($25.1m)

The Qatar Grand Prix was a difficult one for Oscar Piastri, who appeared destined for a race win prior to a misjudged strategy call by his pit wall team, with Zak Brown and Andrea Stella admitting they “made the wrong decision” with keeping both McLaren drivers on track during an early Safety Car.

Piastri looked primed to deliver his strongest weekend in recent memory, topping every session across the weekend up until Sunday.

Despite finishing runner-up to title rival Verstappen in the race, Piastri posted his second-highest score of the season (46). This was helped by his sixth fastest lap (+10 fantasy points) of the season, a scoring category he leads all drivers (tied with Norris) in 2025.

Piastri’s more affordable entry point compared to his championship rivals makes him an excellent 2X DRS Boost alternative for lower-budget F1 Fantasy teams this weekend or those looking to take a punt.

Yuki Tsunoda ($11.4m)

Red Bull confirmed on Tuesday that Yuki Tsunoda will not return to the grid in 2026, bringing his 22-race stint with the senior team to a close.

He arrives in Abu Dhabi buoyed by a season-high P5 in the Qatar Sprint and a competitive average of 14.4 fantasy points across his past five weekends.

The Japanese driver also claimed a career-best P4 at Yas Marina in 2021, the most recent occasion the Drivers’ Championship went down to the final race of the year.

And with emotions likely to influence Driver of the Day voting, a tidy 10-point bonus in F1 Fantasy, he remains an intriguing high-upside pick for the finale.

Nico Hulkenberg ($5.0m)

Nico Hulkenberg hasn’t rediscovered the magic of his Silverstone podium – or the 45-point fantasy haul that came with it – as inconsistency and DNFs have marred his run since the summer break, with only a single double-digit score in Las Vegas to show for it.

Yet Abu Dhabi has historically been kind to him. Five top-10 finishes at Yas Marina, including P8 for Haas last year, suggest there’s still meaningful upside.

The Kick Sauber veteran remains one of the strongest movers on race day, ranking second for average positions gained (2.8) and fourth for overtakes (3.7) per Grand Prix, heading to a circuit that has featured among the top four for overtakes in each of the last three years.

Owned by just 5.6% of the Global Top 500, Hulkenberg is one of the standout low-ownership plays for managers chasing a late surge.

Other drivers to monitor: Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson

Williams ($19.5)

Williams have closed out 2025 strongly, notching two podiums courtesy of Carlos Sainz ($7.7m) since the summer break.

The Grove team average 29.2 points between COTA and Qatar, the most among teams priced under $28m in that period of time.

At a circuit ripe for overtakes, this plays to the strengths of both drivers – Sainz and Alex Albon ($12.6m) average a combined eight passes per race weekend, good for second on the grid this season among all teams.

With an ownership of only 0.6% among engaged players in the top 500, Williams is an enticing differential for the 2025 curtain call.

Racing Bulls ($16.2)

With the last week of the season arguably the most popular time to roll the dice on differential assets, the Racing Bulls constructor enters the conversation after a string of good recent results.

The Faenza team is the fourth-highest scoring team between Brazil and Qatar, averaging 33 F1 Fantasy points thanks to the point-scoring heroics of both Isack Hadjar ($6.9m) and Liam Lawson ($5.9m), who were both recently announced that they would be returning to the grid in 2026.

Racing Bulls also offers routes to points beyond the traditional of means of overtakes and gaining positions – staples of midfield constructor teams. They average 6.8 points for fast pit stops and 5.8 points for Qualifying teamwork, marks they lead all teams priced under $28m in.

If you are tempted to explore something different to the traditional two premium-priced constructor pairing in the last race of the season, Alan Permane’s team is certainly one to watch.

Other constructors to monitor: McLaren, Red Bull

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.