Round 2 of the 2019 Fantasy GP World Championship is this weekend and it’s time to get those drivers, cars and predictions sorted. To help out, here’s a brief preview and some handy tips.

Wingman or Champ?

Bottas is on a mission. Previously known as Hamilton’s wingman, the Finnish gent is clearly determined to make more of his championship winning machinery in 2019. And he’s considerably cheaper than his five-times champion team mate. Worth a punt? Don’t discount Hamilton – he is still good value – he scored more points than Bottas, taking into account to his unbeatable qualifying pace. But as the most costly driver on the grid, you have to really want him in your team.

Credit: OctanePhotos.co.uk

Prancing horses to Gallop again?

Ferrari didn’t deliver on their pre-season promise, but they have a stellar track record at Bahrain, and so does Sebastian Vettel. It may be worth getting the red cars in your team for this weekend. Leclerc looked racey in Australia, if Ferrari allow him to go for it, we would expect to see him right up there.

Points mean prizes

For Bahrain, the highest scoring team in the PRO Championship will win the Fantasy GP Trophy and a special Haas photo frame which includes a piece of the 2018 car and signed by Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. To be in with a chance of winning, make sure you’re a PRO player before the race on Sunday. This prize was produced by Memento Exclusives, purveyors of fine motorsport memorabilia.

Williams are looking good

They clearly have huge issues and are not expected to fix them very soon. It may seem like a waste of money to have them, but it’s not – Fantasy GP rewards bonus points and if they get to the finish this weekend while others fail, there are points to be had. Williams scored more points than Alfa Romeo and McLaren in Australia. At their rock-bottom price (for now) it’s worth having the struggling team – they were the second best value car after Mercedes in Australia.

credit: OctanePhotos.co.uk

The midfield is a minefield

With Renault, Haas, Toro Rosso and Racing Point all scoring similar points in Australia, it’s tricky to know who will do better in Bahrain. In fact, with such a close midfield in 2019, it really isn’t clear right now who is best to have in your team. In terms of value (points per million dollars), Racing Point came out on top for Australia in terms of the midfield and were better value than Red Bull too. Maybe snap up the pink cars while you can.

Russell, Stroll and Kvyat

These 3 drivers formed the Fantasy GP podium for Australia – not for the most points but in terms of best value. We calculate how valuable a driver is in terms of how my points they bring in relative to their price. You may not win by having these drivers as your lineup but they are the best way to spend some of your budget. Remember, we’re only running on one race worth of data, as the season progresses, this will only get more interesting. You can see more in the Stats Dashboard with interactive charts. Below are some images of the data from Australia.

How to watch the Bahrain GP

For those of you in UK, like us you’ll be enjoying a more favourable hour of the day for second race. The Bahrain GP starts at 4:10pm on Sunday. Qualifying is on from 3pm so make sure any team changes and predictions are made before then.

If you want Friday practice, it’s on at 11am and 3pm with FP3 on Saturday at midday. All times are UK times. Remember that the clocks go forward on Sunday and also – Sunday is a special day – it’s Mothers Day, so treat your mum before the racing starts!

If you’re in the UK, you’ll need Sky to watch the Bahrain GP live, but if you don’t have Sky you can always get a NOW TV pass and watch the race online for just £8.99. For better value, checkout the 2019 Season Pass too.

Unlimited Free Changes

Remember, after the game locks for the Bahrain GP team changes will be limited so use this time ahead of the round 2 to make any big changes. After Bahrain, free team changes are limited to 6 for Rookie players, 20 for PRO and 40 for PRO Elite. You can change your cars more, but each additional change after your allowance will incur a 10 point penalty, to be taken off your total score when results are calculated. Fancy more changes, simply Go PRO and enjoy an ad-free game too.

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