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

Known as “Monaco without the walls”, this tight and twisty circuit makes the Hungaroring one of the more technical weekends on the calendar. With overtaking hard to come by, our F1 Fantasy Strategist will help guide you towards the smart picks – those that are strong qualifiers and expected to perform well in the slower-speed corners.

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.

Don’t forget, the McLaren mini league is still open to enter a team until the Hungarian Grand Prix too. There are exciting new prizes on offer, which includes the winner receiving a tour of McLaren Plus Technology Centre for two guests and gift bag with a signed cap from drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

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.

The Hungarian Grand Prix puts a premium on Qualifying, driver skill, and tyre management. At a track that is in the bottom half for total overtakes among all circuits over the last two years, prioritising those drivers that have a reputation for performing well on Saturday is essential.

Catch up on the Spa highlights below and keep reading for more tips. Remember to lock in your teams before Qualifying starts on Saturday, August 2 at 1600 local time (1400 UTC).

Max Verstappen ($28.3m)

Max Verstappen may not be the first name on everyone’s mind when it comes to premium-priced assets in F1 Fantasy, but his single-lap performance speaks for itself.

The Dutchman has the equal-highest number of pole positions (four) in 2025, tied with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris ($31.1m) and Oscar Piastri ($26.1m).

His average finishing position (2.3) in Budapest in the last three seasons is the highest of all drivers on the grid over this period of time.

For a differential premium asset that will defend like a lion, look no further than Verstappen.

Alex Albon ($10.6m)

Alex Albon was back to his best in Belgium, recording his best result (P6) since Imola on his way to 14 F1 Fantasy points.

The Williams racer averages 13 game points over the last two race weekends and requires exactly that score to attain a $0.6m price rise in Budapest.

The Thai driver recorded his best Qualifying result of the season (P5) last time out and has made it to Q3 eight times this season.

Albon has finished in the top-10 in nine out of the 10 Grands Prix he has completed this season, and has the best average Qualifying record among those priced under $16.5m – exceptional omens at a track such as the Hungaroring.

Nico Hulkenberg ($9.0m)

Nico Hulkenberg may not be the strongest qualifier on the grid this season but is a safe pair of hands at a challenging circuit.

His weekend average of 23.8 F1 Fantasy points over the last five races is good for third among all drivers.

However, what is most compelling about Hulkenberg is that he needs to score greater than -19 F1 Fantasy points in Hungary, thanks to his heroics in Silverstone still factoring into his three-race rolling average for one more weekend.

The German is very likely to gain $0.6m in Budapest, which makes him an intriguing asset to build budget.

Gabriel Bortoleto ($4.7m)

The Hungarian Grand Prix may be a weekend where many drivers under $18m lose $0.6m in value given the limited opportunities to overtake and score points in F1 Fantasy – enter Gabriel Bortoleto.

The rookie both qualified and finished inside the top-10 in Austria and Belgium and is building more confidence with each passing weekend.

Although the Brazilian may lose $0.2m from his value in Hungary, he should be well set up to rise $0.6m after the summer break once his Silverstone retirement falls off his trailing average.

For lower-budget teams, Bortoleto is enticing as a longer-term hold.

Liam Lawson ($4.5m)

Liam Lawson has had a mixed last few race weekends but has bottomed out at $4.5m – the price floor in F1 Fantasy.

Despite his retirements in Canada and Silverstone, the New Zealander averages 9.5 fantasy points in the four most recent races that he has seen the chequered flag.

Across the last three race weekends, the Racing Bulls driver has the seventh-best Qualifying record on the entire grid and has three top-10 finishes in his last six Grand Prix outings.

As a $4.5m asset who cannot lose any additional value in Budapest, Lawson is on the bubble as an asset to own this week.

Other drivers to monitor: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris

McLaren ($33.9m)

At a circuit where a strong result in Qualifying is imperative, McLaren has that potential in spades.

Since Imola, both drivers have qualified inside the top three in every race weekend except one (Norris – P7, Canada).

In addition, the impressive joint Qualifying performances across the season mean that McLaren have scored all 130 of the available Qualifying teamwork points on offer so far this season (a maximum of 10 points is awarded to teams each weekend when both drivers make it into Q3).

Piastri and Norris have taken pole position four times apiece this season, and it is widely expected one of them to repeat this on Saturday.

Red Bull ($28.1m)

Red Bull arrive on the Strategist’s radar this weekend after a 55-point showing in Spa – their best F1 Fantasy score since Imola.

For the second weekend running, the Milton Keynes outfit set the fastest pit stop time, accruing 15 points each in Great Britain and Belgium for their performances in the pit box.

Spa was also the first Qualifying session since Miami that both Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda appeared in Q3, good for an extra 10 fantasy points.

The momentum Red Bull currently have amongst the premium Teams in F1 Fantasy puts them in good stead for the trip to Budapest.

Other constructors to monitor: Ferrari, 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.