F1 Fantasy: tips for the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

The Austrian Grand Prix rounds out the first triple-header of 2021 but who should you be picking for your F1 Fantasy team this weekend?

Championship leaders Max Verstappen and Red Bull are the obvious candidates but can you make up points against league rivals with some shrewd spending elsewhere?

With adverse weather still a possibility this weekend, one or two drivers that you might not have considered could be worth a look if you’re chasing a points deficit.

So who are the clear contenders and who are the assets to steer well clear of for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix?

There are a few transfers you might want to consider ahead of Saturday qualifying.

Price changes

Risers

Sergio Perez and Red Bull have risen in price since the Styrian Grand Prix by 0.1m. The Mexican was unfortunate to not take third place from Valtteri Bottas in the closing laps of last week’s race but the Red Bull had the measure of Mercedes on race pace as Lewis Hamilton slipped away from eventual winner Max Verstappen.

Yuki Tsunoda’s clean weekend last time out also means the Japanese driver has risen in price by 0.1m in value.

Fallers

Esteban Ocon and Alpine are the only fallers in price after the Frenchman finished outside of the points in 14th. Both the team and driver have dropped by 0.1m for this weekend.

Must-haves

Aside from the obvious choices (championship leaders Verstappen and Red Bull), there are a few attractive assets to consider for this weekend based on performances in the Styrian Grand Prix.

Firstly, at 6.4m, George Russell is a compelling option for the Austrian GP after arguably his and Williams’ strongest performance for some time. Russell narrowly missed out on Q3 and was running P8 in the opening phase of the race until a pneumatic pressure issue forced him to retire.

Sergio Perez’s strong second stint in his chasing down of Valtteri Bottas also marks the Mexican out as a potential winner. With softer compound tyres used this weekend, his tyre preservation skills could tip the scales in his favour.

Ones to watch

While Ocon has dropped in price with a disappointing performance last weekend, team-mate Fernando Alonso looks set to continue his strong patch of form this weekend. The Spaniard has added track walks to his race weekend routine having previously done so at Baku where the team finished in the points. It’s an approach that looks to have worked wonders for Alpine’s experienced driver.

Pierre Gasly didn’t get much of a chance to make use of his strong grid slot as he fell victim to a scruffy first lap by Charles Leclerc. Had the AlphaTauri driver been able to continue his race, he may well have challenged Norris for P5 such was his pace last time out.

Ones to avoid

Daniel Ricciardo still can’t get on terms with team-mate Lando Norris and until that changes, the Australian isn’t a wise investment for your fantasy team. Likewise, Sebastian Vettel’s purple patch from Monaco and Baku seems to have run out, and Lance Stroll has extracted the maximum from Aston Martin’s car over the recent races according to the four-time champion.

2021 Austrian Grand Prix picks

Drivers:

Max Verstappen (25.6m)

Sergio Perez (18.8m)

Lando Norris (14.0m)

Fernando Alonso (14.8m)

George Russell (6.2m)

Team:

McLaren (18.6m)