The Rise of F1 Fantasy Leagues
Fantasy sports have been a staple of mainstream leagues for decades, but in Formula 1, the phenomenon arrived with a unique twist. Since the sport introduced its first official fantasy game in 2018, F1 Fantasy has evolved into one of the most dynamic ways for fans to participate in race weekends. What began as an experiment has now become a powerful engagement tool. The platform has drawn in millions of players who want to feel closer to the strategy, unpredictability, and intensity of a Grand Prix. The first iteration of the official F1 Fantasy game launched in 2018, in partnership with PlayON. Built on a $100 million budget, fans could create teams by choosing five drivers and a constructor. This early version wasn’t yet integrated into the F1 mobile app. Instead, it existed on a standalone fantasy platform.
By 2019, F1 had evolved its fantasy offering. The sport’s official site announced a revamped Fantasy for that season, now allowing users to build up to three teams, use “wildcards,” and select a “Turbo Driver,” or “DRS Boost” who could earn double points if they stayed under a certain budget. This added a layer of strategy. Designing multiple squads and timing wildcards made fantasy play feel more like a team-management simulation than just a pick-and-hope game. The real turning point came when F1 embedded fantasy directly into its official mobile experience. Today, you can play fantasy through the official F1 app, making it far more accessible to the growing digital fanbase. In the 2025 season alone, the game saw 1.5 million registered players, according to Formula 1.
What makes F1 fantasy leagues so compelling is the very unpredictability that defines real racing. Points are earned not only for finishing position but also for overtakes, fastest lap, pit-stops, and more. That volatility keeps fans glued to every session: will their chosen “DRS Boost” deliver? Should they deploy their wildcard? The stakes feel real every weekend.
Fantasy leagues have also become a powerful tool for community building. Players create private leagues with friends, or join global and mini-leagues, turning casual banter into competitive traditions. Teams and brands have leaned into this engagement, sharing fantasy picks, insights, and strategy content on social media, turning a game into a marketing channel. There’s an emotional payoff, too. Fantasy encourages fans to root beyond their favorite driver. A mid-field pick who qualifies well or a rookie who consistently overperforms suddenly becomes a hero on your fantasy roster. This broadens fan affinity and creates deeper emotional investment across the entire grid.
As F1 continues to innovate digitally, fantasy leagues will likely become even more tightly woven into the sport’s ecosystem. New chips, enhanced prize structures, and deeper in-app features are already pushing the game beyond simple lineup management. With future possibilities like live stat integration and real-time strategy prompts, the fantasy experience will only grow more immersive. It’s clear that fantasy isn’t just a side game anymore; it’s becoming a core pillar of modern F1 fandom.
