After the first round of the season in Australia, Formula 1 heads straight to Asia for the second round of the 2026 championship
The Chinese Grand Prix weekend, scheduled at the Shanghai International Circuit, is already an important moment for GPK Games fantasy managers. After what we saw in Melbourne, some hierarchies are starting to emerge, and choosing the right drivers could make the difference in the F1 Fantasy standings.
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The Shanghai track, with its 5.451 km and 16 corners, is a technical circuit that combines long straights with very technical sections. This means car performance and tyre management will play a decisive role. Here are the most interesting drivers to pick for the second race of the season.
Top drivers: Russell and Antonelli lead the choices
After the one-two finish in Melbourne, the two Mercedes drivers are inevitably among the hottest names for F1 Fantasy. George Russell arrives in China as the winner of the first race of the season, with a car that showed extremely competitive pace both in qualifying and in race trim.
Alongside him, former rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed in his season debut by finishing second. The young Italian already looks very comfortable in the Mercedes and represents a very interesting choice for fantasy managers looking for big points at a slightly lower cost than his British teammate.
Solid alternatives: is Ferrari in the fight?
Among the drivers to absolutely consider is Charles Leclerc. It’s true that the Monegasque driver finished “only” third in Australia, but Ferrari proved it can stay consistently at the front (as seen at the start of the race).
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Also keep an eye on the experience of Lewis Hamilton, who is still chasing his first major result in his new adventure in red. The seven-time world champion remains a driver capable of capitalizing on any opportunity in the race – and let’s not forget that here last year he took both his only pole position and Sprint victory.
Possible outsiders: who could surprise?
Watch out for surprises: the two Racing Bulls drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, could surprise again as seen during the Albert Park weekend.
Also performing well is Gabriel Bortoleto, who scored points with Audi, as well as the increasingly consistent Ollie Bearman. The latter is more expensive, but at the moment he seems to be the “best of the rest”.
F1 Fantasy strategy: bet on Mercedes?
After what we saw in the first round of the championship, the feeling is that Mercedes might start with a slight advantage over the rest of the grid. For this reason, many fantasy managers could build their team around Russell and Antonelli, or even choose Mercedes as their team.
However, the Chinese Grand Prix has historically been an unpredictable race. Strategies, safety cars and tyre management often completely change the finishing order. For this reason, the best choice could be pairing a top driver with a team like Mercedes or Ferrari.
Our suggested line-up
- George Russell
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Liam Lawson
- Arvid Lindblad
- (Team) – Ferrari
The second round of the championship could already give important indications about the direction of the season. And for F1 Fantasy, picking the right line-up in Shanghai could represent the first real jump in the standings.
Photo: Formula 1, Scuderia Ferrari
