F1 FANTASY: Tips for the Italian Grand Prix – and what the return of F1 Sprint means for your team

This weekend at Monza heralds the second-ever F1 Sprint as well as the 2021 Italian Grand Prix so it’s time for a reminder as to how Sprint changes F1 Fantasy, and what changes you should make for Round 14 of the season.

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How does F1 Sprint affect F1 Fantasy?

The first F1 Sprint was way back in July but so much has happened between the British Grand Prix and the present that it’s probably worth a refresher on the rules. Firstly, the deadline to lock in your team is on Friday – before qualifying and after FP1 – not Saturday.

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Points are also given to drivers for finishing the Sprint, for placing from P1-P10, gaining positions, finishing ahead of their team mate and scoring the Fastest Lap – with points lost for losing positions, DNFs or disqualifications.

Furthermore, Sprint does not affect any streaks that your driver is on or about to achieve during a weekend.

So who should you buy for the Italian Garnd Prix weekend?

Speaking of Streaks, AlphaTauri’s Esteban Ocon ($10.2m) is the only driver about to hit a streak this weekend, looking to finish the GP in the top 10 for 10 bonus points – while Ferrari gain 10 extra points if both Charles Leclerc ($17.7m) and Carlos Sainz ($14.5m) finish in the top 10 at Monza.

READ MORE: Leclerc hoping to use F1 Sprint to Ferrari’s advantage as fans return to Monza this weekend

In two races’ time, however, Max Verstappen ($25.7m) and Pierre Gasly ($11.9m) could both be on double streaks – scoring 15 extra points – if they finish in the top 10 and qualify in the top 10. That means it’s worth saving your Turbo or Mega Driver powerups for the Russian GP.

For the Sprint, drivers who qualify the best on Friday and have the upper hand over their team mates should score healthily over the weekend. That includes Verstappen, Mick Schumacher ($5.8m), Lando Norris ($14.2m), Gasly, and Lewis Hamilton ($33.0m).

Another driver to consider for the Sprint is Fernando Alonso ($15.2m), who’s on a run of points scores and enjoyed rapid pace off the line in the last Sprint at Silverstone.

Note that if you have Kimi Raikkonen – who missed the Dutch GP with a positive Covid-19 test – in your team, he will be replaced by Robert Kubica for the upcoming race.

This is the final round of the European triple-header and there is plenty more to play for over the season, so make sure you get your changes in for Friday evening.

FORM GUIDE: Who’ll bring the magic at Monza for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix?