F1 Fantasy After Singapore: What Changes for the Final Six Races
15 October 2026
The Sprint weekends are over. Six races are left, there are ten days until Austin, and three things have changed since our run-in plan was written: Max Verstappen's form, George Russell's engine situation and the calendar itself.
Here is what each one means for your team.
What happened in Singapore
Max Verstappen won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. He won Sunday's race from pole, 7.3 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Kimi Antonelli third.
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 8 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi |
| 9 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
Russell crashed out of the Sprint while leading it, then started the Grand Prix 19th after an engine penalty and recovered to ninth. Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto were the only Grand Prix retirements.
Antonelli now leads Russell by 102 points. He can clinch the title in Austin if he outscores Russell by enough there.
Verstappen: we got Singapore wrong
Our Singapore preview argued that his wet-weather win at Sepang did not carry over to a dry, low-overtaking street circuit. He then took pole and won by seven seconds.
That is two wins in a row, in very different conditions. It is enough to stop treating Sepang as a one-off. If you sold Verstappen for Singapore, he is worth looking at again for Austin, a circuit where a fast car can recover from a poor qualifying.
The case against him is now mainly price. His value will have risen after two wins, so check what he costs in the app before you plan around him. Our Verstappen guide covers how to fit a premium driver into the budget.
Russell: the penalty is done
Russell retired from Sepang with a power unit failure while running third. That used up his engine allocation, so Mercedes fitted a new one for Singapore and he took the grid penalty there. The team had originally planned to make the change in Austin.
For F1 Fantasy, this is good news. The engine penalty that was expected at Austin has already been taken, at a circuit where Russell still recovered to ninth. Any further new power unit parts would bring another penalty, so watch the team's news before each lock, but the known risk is gone.
He remains a strong pick in the same Mercedes that has led the championship for most of the season. His weekend in Singapore was poor because of a crash and a penalty, not a lack of pace.
The calendar: plan for one race fewer
The Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December) races are still officially on the calendar, but they are in doubt. Formula 1 has prepared Imola as a replacement venue, and teams have said they need a decision by mid-October.
Nothing has been announced yet. The possible outcomes are:
- Both races go ahead. Six races left, as planned.
- Imola replaces one or both. The season could still finish on 6 December, but at a European circuit with very different characteristics.
- The season ends earlier. If Qatar is cancelled and only one replacement race is added, there are five races left, not six.
The safe assumption is five races, not six. That matters most for chips, because you can only use one per race.
Your chip plan for the final six
| Round | Race | Date | Best chip fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | United States (Austin) | 25 Oct | Unused 3X Boost, Final Fix |
| 19 | Mexico City | 1 Nov | Limitless |
| 20 | Brazil (Interlagos) | 8 Nov | No Negative, Autopilot |
| 21 | Las Vegas | 21 Nov | Wildcard if you need a rebuild |
| 22 | Qatar | 29 Nov | Not confirmed |
| 23 | Abu Dhabi | 6 Dec | Not confirmed, possibly Imola |
Do not leave two chips for the last two weekends. If one of those races disappears, one of the chips is lost. Use your chips in Austin, Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas first, and treat the final two weekends as a bonus.
If you still have the 3X Boost, use it in Austin or Mexico. Singapore was the best weekend for it and it has gone. There is no Sprint left to wait for, so holding it only adds the risk of running out of races. Play it on a premium driver at the next race where you are confident in them.
Final Fix is still useful in Austin. It is the first race back after a two-week break, and teams bring changes. If your Boost driver qualifies badly or takes a penalty, Final Fix lets you swap them out after qualifying.
Hold No Negative and Autopilot for Brazil if you have them. Interlagos still has the highest weather risk of the remaining races.
Transfers before Austin
You get three free transfers every race and they do not carry over, so there is no reason to save them. Three questions to ask before the lock:
- Do you own Antonelli? He leads the championship by 102 points and has finished on the podium at both Sepang and Singapore.
- Should Verstappen come back in? After two wins, yes if the budget works.
- Are you holding drivers who are not scoring? With six races left, price rises matter less than points. Sell anyone who is not going to score, even if they are cheap. Our price change guide explains why late-season value matters less.
Austin is a normal weekend, so teams lock at the start of Qualifying on Saturday 24 October, not on Friday as in Singapore.
What to do this week
Nothing is urgent. There is no race this weekend, and prices will not change again until after Austin. Use the gap to:
- Count your chips and match them to the table above.
- Check whether the finale has been confirmed. We will update this guide when it is.
- Wait for our Austin race preview, which will cover current prices, the tyre selection and the Boost pick once practice gets close.
The original run-in plan has more detail on each chip.
Frequently asked questions
How many races are left in the 2026 F1 season? Six on the current calendar, from Austin on 25 October to Abu Dhabi on 6 December. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still in doubt, so the season could end up with five races left.
Who won the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix? Max Verstappen, from pole, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. He also won the Sprint, his second weekend win in a row after Sepang.
Will George Russell take a grid penalty in Austin? Not for his engine change. Mercedes brought the change forward to Singapore, where he took the penalty. Any further new power unit parts would bring another penalty.
Can Antonelli win the 2026 title in Austin? Yes. He leads Russell by 102 points, so he can clinch the title in Austin if he outscores Russell by enough on the day.
When should I use my remaining F1 Fantasy chips? Use them in Austin, Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas rather than waiting for the last two races. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are not confirmed, and any chip you save for a race that is cancelled is lost.
When do F1 Fantasy teams lock for the United States Grand Prix? At the start of Qualifying on Saturday 24 October. Austin is not a Sprint weekend in 2026, so the usual Saturday lock applies.
Know your move
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