The Week Ahead

After a very mid weekend at the Madring, Formula 1 goes back to Asia for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. The street circuit is one of the toughest races to watch for fans in North America, but is always an exciting one to get up for. This street circuit is one with tons of chaos every year, with flags abound year after year. Here’s what you need to know to set yourself up for F1 Fantasy success at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Quick Reference

Sprint Weekend?	NO — standard weekend
🔒 Fantasy Lock	5:00 AM PT, September 25 6:00 AM MT, September 25 8:00 AM ET, September 25
2× Boost	KIMI ANTONELLI: Fantasy points leader
Value Pick	SERGIO PEREZ- the only repeat winner at Baku
Constructor	MERCEDES—fantasy points leader
One to Avoid	ASTON MARTIN— two straight weeks in negatives
Chips to play this week	The No Negative or Autopilot chips may be useful to reduce some of the risks associated with the street circuit

The Circuit

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a street circuit that runs through the capital city, Baku. Designed by Hermann Tilke, the layout is a mix of long straights and very tight turns through the older part of the city.

The first three sectors of the lap are the most trecherous. Sector one has numerous 90 degree left turns, and with drivers starting with reasonably cool tyres, there is a real risk of lock-ups right out of the gate. The second sector is equally tough, with the narrow roads and lack of runoff area makes this an area to expect an accident. Turn three has the toughest turn on the grid at turn 15, which is a blind left-hand turn that shifts downhill- yikes!

There are two long overtake zones subsequently, allowing for drivers to pass cleanly, should they get out of the first three sectors cleanly. This should make for an interesting race.

Building Your Team This Week

Locks, value picks, and drivers to avoid this weekend. Prices and ownership current as of this week. Full methodology in our PPM guide.

Tier	Driver / Constructor	Price (movement)	Why This Week
🟢 Lock	KIMI ANTONELLI	$26.6M (▲ $0.3M)	Five straight podiums
🟢 Lock	MERCEDES	$33.5M (▲ $0.3M)	Averaging 84.4 points per race.
⭐ Value	Alex Albon	$6.4M (▲ $0.6M)	Five straight races with points, including 17 in Italy.
⭐ Value	AUDI	$8.6M (▲ $0.6M)	Back-to-back maximum price rises
🔴 Avoid	Carlos Sainz	$3.0M (-$0.6M)	A DNF in Madrid and a risk of another DNF on the tight course
🔴 Avoid	Aston Martin	$6.3M (-$0.6M)	Tough stretch for the team right now

Fantasy Implications from F1 News

• Haas: Esteban Ocon will leave Haas after this season, with him looking for a new team after this season. Haas will be looking for a new driver, with Rafael Camara of F2 the likely replacement.
• Isack Hadjar: The French driver is back in the fold after missing three weeks with a wrist issue. Yuki Tsunoda is back as the reserve driver with Liam Lawson going back to Racing Bulls.
• Tyres: Pirelli has selected the softest compound tyres for Baku. C3 will be the hards, C4 the mediums, and C5 the softs.

This Week’s Pick & Last Week’s Result

Our Lineup — Azerbaijan GP 2026

Slot	Asset	Price	Why
Driver 1 (2× Boost)	KIMI ANTONELLI	$26.6M	Fantasy points leader
Driver 2	ISACK HADJAR	$14.5M	Back in the fold driving the Red Bull.
Driver 3	ARVID LINDBLAD	$8.2M	Very reliable this season. In good form.
Driver 4	NICO HULKENBERG	$4.8M	Improved car reliability and likely price increase
Driver 5	OLLIE BEARMAN	$5.8M	Affordable, recent form, banking on upside
Constructor 1	MERCEDES	$33.5M	Fantasy points leader, expected circuit suitability
Constructor 2	FERRARI	$27.5M	Competing with McLaren but much cheaper
Total		$121.0M

Strategy: Still relying on three Tier A fantasy assets, with the rest of the lineup built around potential budget increases based on their strong recent form.

Last Race: Spanish GP Result

Kimi Antonelli pulled through as usual, while Lewis Hamilton’s DNF brought Ferrari’s score down. Thankfully, we used our No Negative chip, which negated the 20 points Ferrari and Hamilton lost.

Season Progress

F1 Fantasy Azerbaijan GP 2026 — FAQ

Who should I Boost in F1 Fantasy for the Azerbaijan GP?

You should Boost Kimi Antonelli this weekend. He has been leading all season long, and is most likely to win the WDC this season.

Is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix good for overtaking in F1 Fantasy?

It’s decent for overtaking, but street circuits are by nature tight, making overtaking challenging. There is a very long main straight, which is 2.2km long, which should be there you see a good number of overtakes.

What are you running this week? Drop your lineup in the comments — and check back after FP2 for any last-minute changes.

New to F1 Fantasy? Complete Beginner’s Guide — Last Week’s Results: Spanish Grand Prix — Track Practice Data: Spanish GP Lock Guide (expected on Friday)