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Justin Carter's DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the 2025 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix. Read our daily fantasy F1 advice and sleepers analysis.
Formula 1 was in Austin last weekend for the United States Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen pick up a big win to continue his attempt to come back from an early-season hole to capture a fifth consecutive Formula 1 title. Those hopes might have hit a speed bump this weekend in Mexico City, though.
That's because Verstappen will fire off in fifth place while Lando Norris starts on the pole. With points leader Oscar Piastri starting back in eighth, Sunday's race could really shake the title hunt up, as Norris currently trails his McLaren teammate by 14 points. He could make that up this weekend.
Below, you will find our Formula 1 DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the Mexico City Grand Prix on 10/26/25, with the slate locking at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Looking to chat about F1? Then you can find me on X at @juscarts, or over on Bluesky.
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.
Captain: Ollie Bearman ($6.3K)
Starts Ninth
If you're looking to go with multiple big-name drivers and a top constructor this weekend, Ollie Bearman stands out as an intriguing value captain for the second week in a row.
Bearman has scored points in consecutive races and has finished 12th or better in the last nine races that he's been running at the end. He's still flying under the radar, but Bearman has proven that he belongs in Formula 1.
Ollie Bearman has more Q3 appearances over the last 3 races (3) than his teammate Esteban Ocon has all season (2).
Give it up for the rookie. pic.twitter.com/u1WvJToSCN
— Daniel Valente 🏎️ (@F1GuyDan) October 25, 2025
It's also worth noting that coming into this race, he'd advanced to the final round of qualifying three times. He finished in the points in all three of those races. Bearman isn't someone who gets a fluke Q3 appearance and then fades. If he qualifies well, he sticks around where he starts.
Constructor: Ferrari ($10.5K)
Last week, Ferrari drivers finished third and fourth in the United States Grand Prix. After some inconsistency all season, it looked like the Italian team finally had something going.
That looks like it might continue this weekend in Mexico City. While Lando Norris ran a very, very fast qualifying time to take the pole, the Ferraris were second and third in Q3, showing that they can beat anyone except Norris.
We're still waiting for the first double podium of the season for Ferrari since Lewis Hamilton has shockingly failed to record a single one so far. He's never finished a season with fewer than five podiums, so this year has been a major disappointment for the seven-time champion.
If a Hamilton podium is going to happen, this weekend might be his best shot, as he fires off third, which is Hamilton's best starting spot of the season.
Lando Norris ($12.8K)
Starts First
If Lando Norris is going to capture his first Formula 1 championship this season, the Mexico City Grand Prix might be the reason why.
Norris won the season opener, but was soon passed in the standings by his teammate, Piastri. He's spent all year looking up and currently trails by 14 points in the title hunt.
HOLY MOLY LANDO NORRIS. 🤯
But Ferrari with the spice and shaking up the Championship battle. 👀
Can we start the race now?! #MexicanGP #F1Fantasy
— Euan Leith (@F1FantasyEuan) October 25, 2025
That could change here. Piastri starts eighth, so Norris has a chance to really capitalize as he'll start from the pole after a blistering final qualifying lap. He also has a chance to reverse the recent trend of Verstappen inching closer and closer to the championship battle. The key is for him to just not make any mistakes, as he has the fastest car this weekend.
Charles Leclerc ($10.4K)
Starts Second
Hamilton doesn't have any podiums, but teammate Charles Leclerc has six of them, as he's been the best Ferrari this season by a solid margin. In fact, Leclerc recorded a podium last weekend at COTA, his first since the Belgian Grand Prix in July.
Ghost Car 👻 Mexico City edition!
Ride onboard with Charles Leclerc as he battles for pole with Lando Norris 🍿#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/lVwCzoWwMt
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 26, 2025
If we're playing Ferrari as our constructor, I'd much rather build a stack with Leclerc over Hamilton. Leclerc has been fast most weeks and starts second on Sunday, putting him in a good position to pounce if something goes wrong with Norris' car.
Ferrari has yet to win a race in 2025. Sunday's going to offer the possibly best remaining chance to do so. It's going to be rare to have a weekend where both Verstappen and Piastri aren't also starting up front.
Nico Hulkenberg ($4.8K)
Starts 13th
Nico Hulkenberg's eighth-place result at COTA last weekend was his first points finish since Silverstone back in July, and rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto has looked like Sauber's best driver at times. So, why recommend playing Hulkenberg this weekend?
Well, when you get this far down in salary, our goal is to find drivers who can get points for defeating their teammate. That's something Hulkenberg, who starts 13th, should be able to do, as Bortoleto starts 16th after failing to advance out of the first round of qualifying.
Isack Hadjar ($4.6K)
Starts Eighth
For a little bit, rookie Isack Hadjar was on fire. In the first nine races of the season, Hadjar took this Racing Bulls car to a points finish five times before hitting a bit of a rookie wall. Then, in the late summer, he reeled off three more points finishes in a row, followed by an 11th in Singapore.
That little run hit a snag last week at COTA. Hadjar had to start the race last after he failed to record a qualifying run, and that was just too much ground to make up as he finished 16th, the last car on the lead lap.
But Hadjar starts eighth on Sunday, putting him in a strong position to score points again. He also has a sizable advantage in the race for teammate DFS points as Liam Lawson starts back in 15th.
Defeated Teammate Picks
Here are the picks for who will come out on top for each constructor.
- McLaren: Lando Norris
- Mercedes: George Russell
- Red Bull: Max Verstappen
- Ferrari: Charles Leclerc
- Racing Bulls: Isack Hadjar
- Williams: Carlos Sainz Jr.
- Haas: Ollie Bearman
- Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg
- Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso
- Alpine: Pierre Gasly
Last race's record: 8-2
How Does Formula 1 Fantasy Work?
Here's how the scoring and format work for F1 DFS on DraftKings. You'll pick five drivers and a constructor. One of those drivers will be your captain, who earns you 1.5 times the points but also costs 1.5 times as much as they usually cost. For the constructor, you're choosing one of the F1 teams.
So here's how the scoring works. Your driver only gets points if they finish in the top 10. Here's a chart for how that breaks down:
| Finishing Spot | DraftKings Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 8 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 8 | 4 |
| 9 | 2 |
| 10 | 1 |
In addition, the driver with the fastest lap of the race gets three points. You get 0.1 points per lap led, five points for beating your teammate, one point for being classified at the finish, and there are points for place differential.
Finish three spots higher than your grid position, and you will get two points. Finish five better, and you get three points. Finish 10 positions better to get five points. You also lose points for a negative place differential, starting at three spots.
The constructor points work the same way, with some added points if both cars do well. It's confusing, but for Formula 1 DFS to work, it probably had to be confusing, considering the huge gaps in speed between various teams and the small driver pool.
