2025 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona - F1 Fantasy Race Preview, Strategy and Analysis

Euan Leith's preview of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix for F1 Fantasy includes weather updates, differentials for your squads, and predictions for qualifying and the race.

Happy Spanish Grand Prix, RotoBallers! It's the final race of a triple-header as the European season is truly underway. Barcelona has made some changes to the track in recent seasons, and the FIA is bringing a rule change to F1 this weekend.

The deadline for the Spanish Grand Prix in F1 Fantasy is Saturday, May 31, at 10 a.m. EDT, when Qualifying starts. Also, check out the rest of our excellent DFS racing coverage to get you through every NASCAR and Formula 1 race.

Want to build a winning fantasy F1 lineup? Check out our How To Play F1 Fantasy (Formula 1): Overview Guide, Tips, Chips, and Rules for all the essential tips and strategies to get you started on the right foot.

Join our 2025 F1 Fantasy League

That's right! We are putting our reputations on the line and creating an F1 Fantasy League for the 2025 season. If you go to the Leagues tab on the F1 Fantasy home page, you'll find our league in the Featured Leagues tab. Click 'Join League' and you will be set for the 2025 season.

We've also got this shiny banner to stand out! Use code P1JOTPHDW09 to join the 2025 league!

Previous Spanish Grand Prix Winners

• 2024: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
• 2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
• 2022: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
• 2021: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
• 2020: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton are the only 2 #SpanishGP winners since 2016 😮 #FIA #F1 pic.twitter.com/BAZqLpcF28

— FIA (@fia) May 27, 2025

Spanish Grand Prix Schedule

Friday, May 30

• Practice 1: 7:30 a.m. EDT
• Practice 2: 11:00 a.m. EDT

Saturday, May 31

• Practice 3: 6:30 a.m. EDT
• Qualifying: 10:00 a.m. EDT (***F1 Fantasy lineup lock***)

Sunday, June 1

• Race: 9:00 a.m. EDT

Spanish Grand Prix Weather

Spanish Grand Prix Predictions

Qualifying

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lando Norris, McLaren
3. Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Race

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lando Norris, McLaren
3. George Russell, Mercedes

Rule Change: Flexiwing Edition

With the Spanish Grand Prix comes the introduction of a new Technical Directive. Without getting too technical, the FIA is reducing the flexibility of a front wing from 15mm to 10mm. In a sport decided by thousandths of a second, it could lead to quite a change up and down the grid.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell how much difference it will make until cars are on the track. We may not be able to tell the entirety of the change for a few races from now.

I'm not expecting Kick Sauber to challenge for race wins or McLaren to finish in the midfield. However, it could tighten the front of the grid between Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull and cause some shake-ups in the midfield between Alpine, Aston Martin, Haas, and Williams.

Like I said earlier, we won't know the impact of this rule change until we see some on-track action, but it's the main talking point around the paddock as we head to Barcelona.

POV: You're an F1 front wing and you're about to be tested 🔎

This is the contraption that will test the flexibility of the front wings this weekend as the new TD comes into effect. pic.twitter.com/5MqL6eluXp

— The Race (@wearetherace) May 29, 2025

Melting Mercedes

With summer right around the corner, the track temperatures are rising. Unfortunately for Mercedes, this means their performances are starting to fall. The first five races of 2025 are beginning to look like another false dawn for the Silver Arrows as they look to get back to their championship-winning ways from the 2010s.

As you can see from the table above, Mercedes is melting in the heat. All of their stats are down, and the 2024 problem has finally caught up to the 2025 edition of the car.

However, despite visiting blazing Barcelona this weekend, Mercedes has done very well around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Over the last three seasons, a driver from the Brackley-based squad has stepped onto the podium four times (Hamilton twice, Russell twice).

So with the heat, the historical performances, and the new front wing rules, Mercedes will be a team to watch heading into the Spanish Grand Prix.

F1 Fantasy Price Changes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has returned to Tier B status in F1 Fantasy, and Fernando Alonso has joined Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto at the bottom of the barrel with a $4.5 million price tag.

For Antonelli, this means he now rises and falls in increments of $0.2 and $0.6 million. Unfortunately, F1 Fantasy managers should continue to avoid the Italian driver, as he is set to drop in price following disappointing results in Imola and Monaco.

Alonso is a different story. Since he cannot fall, the two-time World Champion is an intriguing option for fantasy strategists. The Spanish driver hasn't scored a point in the Drivers Championship this year, but is getting closer following positive qualifying results in Italy and Monaco.

Barring a massive weekend in Barcelona, Alonso's price will not rise. However, I'm backing him to outscore Colapinto and Bortoleto among the cheapest assets in the game. If Aston Martin can avoid more untimely DNFs for their veteran driver, then Alonso will become a very popular asset in the next two races.

LAP 39/78

Gutting for Alonso 😖

He's had to retire his Aston Martin with a first points finish of the season in sight#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/a6GRo5HTqG

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 25, 2025

F1 Fantasy Drivers to Target and Avoid

Drivers to Target (A Tier, >$19.0m)

• Lando Norris, McLaren
• Max Verstappen, Red Bull
• Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Drivers to Avoid (A Tier, >$19.0m)

• Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
• George Russell, Mercedes

Drivers to Target (B Tier, <$19.0m)

• Carlos Sainz, Williams
• Oliver Bearman, Haas
• Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
• Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
• Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Drivers to Avoid (B Tier, <$19.0m)

• Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
• Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
• Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
• Pierre Gasly, Alpine

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