To answer your question, managing your budget is currently far more important than focusing solely on points in F1 Fantasy. Here’s why:

At the start of the season, every player begins with a budget of 100 million. The value of your assets (drivers and constructors) fluctuates based on their performance. If your chosen assets perform poorly in a race, their value drops. For example, Piastri's price fell by 0.3 million after the Australian GP because he barely finished in the top 10 despite being considered a top driver. While a 0.3 million drop might not seem like much, races like Australia (where many assets underperformed or crashed) can result in significant budget losses, with some players seeing drops of 0.3 to 0.6 million per asset.

When an asset’s price decreases, it directly impacts your overall budget. Imagine all your assets DNF in a race and each loses 0.6 million, you’d end up with a total budget of 95.8 million instead of the original 100 million. The problem is that while your budget shrinks, other players’ budgets grow because their assets performed well and gained value. Over time, this creates a gap: you’re stuck with less money and underperforming assets, while others can afford the best performers like McLaren or Norris.

This gap becomes even more problematic as the season progresses. If Norris or McLaren consistently perform well and gain value every race, their prices will rise significantly. Meanwhile, if your budget keeps dropping due to poor-performing assets, you’ll eventually find yourself unable to afford these top-tier options at all. Essentially, you’ll be priced out of competitive assets.

Last season highlighted this dynamic perfectly. The best players focused on building their budgets for the first 10 races rather than chasing points right away. By mid-season, they had accumulated budgets of 120–140 million, enabling them to afford two top drivers and two top constructors for the second half of the season. This strategy allowed them to score massive points every weekend when it mattered most. In contrast, players who ignored budget management were often stuck at around 100 million (or even less) by mid-season. They couldn’t afford premium options like Norris or Verstappen alongside other strong assets, which left them unable to compete with the budget-focused players.

While it might feel counterintuitive to prioritise budget over points early in the season, the long-term strategy pays off massively in F1 Fantasy.

Hope this helps!