The Week Ahead

George Russell arrives at Sepang with momentum after winning in Azerbaijan, cutting Kimi Antonelli’s championship lead to 66 points with—as of right now—eight rounds remaining. The F1 Fantasy Bahrain GP 2026 presents an unusual challenge, with the relocated race taking place at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia rather than the usual Sakhir venue. With limited recent F1 data at Sepang, fantasy players face more uncertainty than usual, making practice pace especially important.

Quick Reference

Sprint Weekend?	NO — standard weekend
🔒 Fantasy Lock	1:00 AM PT, October 3 2:00 AM MT, October 3 4:00 AM ET, October 3
2× Boost	KIMI ANTONELLI—fantasy points leader
Value Pick	NICO HULKENBERG—recent form and budget building
Constructor	MERCEDES—fantasy points leader
One to Avoid	ASTON MARTIN—very poor recent performance
Chips to play this week	With over half the grid never racing here before, the No Negative chip could help offset potential mistakes by the inexperienced drivers

The Circuit

Although this round retains the Bahrain GP name, the 2026 race is being held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Sepang is a 5.5 km, 15-corner circuit that mixes long straights and heavy braking zones with a fast, flowing middle sector, putting a premium on both straight-line speed and high-speed balance. Overtaking is relatively frequent—the 2017 race featured 73 passes—so drivers starting out of position can offer strong positions-gained upside, making midfield picks especially interesting. The abrasive surface and Malaysian heat can create meaningful tyre degradation. A one-stop may be achievable, but a two-stop becomes more attractive if degradation runs high, with each stop costing roughly 23.7 seconds. Across the final five Sepang races from 2013 to 2017, roughly 21% of starters retired, while Safety Cars appeared in only 20% of those races. With hot, humid conditions and thunderstorms possible this weekend, Sepang should favour frontrunners while still leaving plenty of fantasy upside in the midfield.

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	$26.9M (▲ $0.3M)	Fantasy points leader
🟢 Lock	MERCEDES	$33.8M (▲ $0.3M)	Fantasy points leader
⭐ Value	NICO HULKENBERG	$5.4M (▲ $0.6M)	Recent form, budget building
⭐ Value	AUDI	$9.2M (▲ $0.6M)	Recent form, budget building
🔴 Avoid	FERNANDO ALONSO	$6.2M (▼ $0.6M)	Poor recent form, bad for budget building
🔴 Avoid	ASTON MARTIN	$5.7M (▼ $0.6M)	Poor recent form, bad for budget building

Fantasy Implications from F1 News

• Mercedes: The team is bringing another upgrade to Sepang, further solidifying their spot at the top after winning the last three races. Pay attention to Friday’s practice sessions to see if the new package will deliver.
• Sepang: F1 hasn’t raced here since 2017, and many drivers have never driven the circuit in Formula 1, increasing the value of experienced drivers while making FP1 and FP2 especially important for identifying midfield value.
• Pirelli: They have chosen the middle-range tyres (C2 to C4). High temperatures and thermal degradation could bring one- and two-stop strategies closer together, creating more opportunities for strategy swings and positions gained than at a straightforward one-stop race.

This Week’s Pick & Last Week’s Result

Our Lineup — Bahrain GP 2026

Slot	Asset	Price	Why
Driver 1 (2× Boost)	KIMI ANTONELLI	$26.9M	Fantasy points leader
Driver 2	ISACK HADJAR	$15.1M	Fast car, great recent form
Driver 3	ARVID LINDBLAD	$8.8M	Recent form, budget building
Driver 4	NICO HULKENBERG	$5.4M	Recent form, budget building
Driver 5	VALTTERI BOTTAS	$3.6M	Affordable, possible budget building
Constructor 1	MERCEDES	$33.8M	Quickest car, fantasy points leader
Constructor 2	FERRARI	$27.6M	Cheapest of the top four constructors
Total		$121.2M

Strategy: One last attempt to build budget to be able to fit four Tier A assets and use our 3× Boost for the sprint weekend in Singapore.

Last Race: Azerbaijan GP Result

The Red Bulls were quick last weekend, allowing Hadjar to outscore his price. Colapinto’s late dive into the side of his teammate cost us some points and makes him even less attractive this weekend with his resulting five-place grid penalty.

Season Progress

F1 Fantasy Bahrain GP 2026 — FAQ

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

Kimi Antonelli or Max Verstappen should be your target to Boost this weekend. Antonelli has proven himself as a championship leader, but Verstappen is the most recent winner at Sepang and Red Bull seem to have tightened the gap to Mercedes.

Is Sepang International Circuit good for overtaking in F1 Fantasy?

Sepang is a strong overtaking circuit, with long straights and heavy braking zones. That creates good positions-gained potential for midfield drivers who qualify out of place, so value picks carry more upside than they would at a track where passing is difficult.

Who are the best value picks for F1 Fantasy at the Bahrain GP?

Isack Hadjar, Nico Hulkenberg, and Arvid Lindblad have all had strong recent races and are likely to continue rising in price. Audi and Racing Bulls have also been performing very well and would be valuable assets for any budget-friendly lineups.

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: Azerbaijan GP Review — Track Practice Data: Bahrain GP Lock Guide (expected on Friday)