Here we are, the wait is over. After three months of speculation, new arrivals and old faces still together, the Formula 1 returns to racing. And the start of a new season also means returning to field our team at the Fantasy F1. Let's find out who are the five drivers that we recommend you field in the stage in Australia with the initial 100 credits.
Fanta F1 Australia: What the tests told us
Obviously advising drivers at the beginning of the season is very difficult. All the teams, especially in test, yes. I am hidden. Some tried various configurations, some took to the track with different fuel loads, some had to adapt completely to a new team. Furthermore, the three days of testing took place on the circuit of Bahrain, completely different from the one in Melbourne. If in the first one we find very slow sections (turns 1, 8 and 10) where the traction is the master, in the second one a car is preferred fast and glued to the ground to make the most of the laps that are also taken in sixth gear (turns 1 and 2 or 11 and 12). What has leaked out, however, is the consistency of performance of the McLaren since last year. The Papaya team does not seem to have lost the strong point that brought it back to the front of the constructors: the race pace. The car, compared to all the others, seemed the least nervous and the most balanced. And from what also emerged in the first free practice sessions of the season, it still seems to be the car to beat.
So who are our recommended ones?
Let's get to the heart of the weekend: who will be the possible protagonists at the Fanta F1 in Australia. As mentioned, McLaren is in great shape today, but fielding Norris would lead to too many limitations in the subsequent choices. We therefore opt for Oscar piastri (33 credits). An Australian has never stood on the podium in their home Grand Prix, could this be the right time? However, one top driver is not enough to be certain. This is why we are changing teams and painting our team red. Or rather, red and white, like the Monegasque flag: our second choice is in fact Charles Leclerc (35 credits). Grand Chelem in 2022, P2 last year, the Leclerc-Melbourne duo seems to be a winning one. Our lineup ends with three rookies, with the first one being a little less rookie than the others. These are Oliver Bearman (14 credits), a new Haas driver, who has already had a race (to say the least, excellent) with Ferrari in Jeddah in 2024. Let's not be scared by the accident in FP1, because he can get into Q2 and have fun on Sunday with some overtaking. The last two places are filled by Isaac Hadjar e Gabriel Bortoleto (both 9 credits), to aim for the last place bonus.
The unexpected events that can determine the Australian weekend
As said and reiterated, advising when all the teams are still hiding is not easy. But the Melbourne weekend risks becoming even more complicated to predict. In fact, the pioggia for the race day, with temperature differences of approximately 10 degrees between qualifying and race. So watch out for upsets and surprises, with cars that seemed to be in difficulty that could pull off a coup.
Melbourne Weather Forecast
Safety Car: Yes
Virtual Safety Car: No
Red Flag: Yes
Drivers switch to wet/full wet tyres during race: Yes
Team double in the race: No
Driver who starts on pole wins the race: No
Number of teams to bring both riders to the Top 10: 4
Number of cars forced to withdraw from the race: 1
