F1 Fantasy: Stewards kept busy as sensational Kimi Antonelli cleans up in Monaco

There were false starts, safety cars, and drivers losing patience while cooped up behind one another, but none of this fazed Antonelli. He didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend; the Italian teenager was nothing short of sensational, winning at a canter to earn 55 fantasy points. 

In the end, no one got anywhere near him. A resurgent Lewis Hamilton, who followed up P2 in Canada with another second-place finish, earned just 27 in-game points. Isack Hadjar survived a late penalty scare to finish on the podium for 23 points, while Oscar Piastri was fortunate to get 19 points for P4. 

Pretty much all the other frontrunners had a disaster. Max Verstappen didn’t really get off the line, depriving fans of a race-long battle of the ages with Antonelli. While he was slapped with -11 points for a DNF, Charles Leclerc earned -13 points for a late collision with the barrier. 

But the biggest loser of all was George Russell. Trapped behind Hadjar for much of the race, he was punished for speeding in the pitlane, then failing to serve this penalty, dropping him down under a late safety car. He got zero points (fantasy or otherwise), leaving him on the ropes in the championship, 68 points behind his teammate. 

The stewards were working overtime in Monaco, as many drivers were penalized for cutting across Cadillac's pit box. Shortening the pitlane raised their entry speed, causing the likes of Russell, Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly to pick up penalties. While Hamilton served his penalty under the safety car, others weren’t so lucky.

Russell’s put the final nail in the coffin of an awful weekend and Gasly’s 10-second penalty cost him a podium finish, as Hadjar inherited third. The Frenchman was lost for words after the race, but he still managed a very respectable P7 and 12 points in F1 Fantasy. 

Racing Bulls were probably the biggest beneficiary of the late drama. Liam Lawson grabbed P5 for 16 fantasy points, although he was already in the top ten. His teammate really lucked out, as Leclerc’s crash triggered a red flag. This allowed Lindblad to change tyres for free—and he managed to come home P6 for 21 in-game points.

Other lucky drivers include Alex Albon. Williams nearly threw away a point-scoring position with a gamble that saw him backing up the pack for Carlos Sainz. He got jumped by Lindblad but recovered back into the top ten, taking P8 for 9 fantasy points. Esteban Ocon was also fortunate with P9 – and Fernando Alonso somehow took P10. 

In a shambolic final few moments, Checo Perez was promoted into the top ten for Cadillac’s first points in F1. But he was later dropped down the grid himself for a second false start of the race. Incredibly, Aston Martin earned a point, and Alonso gained 15 points in F1 Fantasy. 

Zak Brown did not sound best pleased when he was interviewed during the race—largely because Lando Norris was on his way to another DNF. After struggling for several laps, his McLaren eventually let go in the tunnel, sending him for an early shower. This earned the current world champ -17 fantasy points. 

Ollie Bearman, who clashed with Haas teammate Ocon in Friday practice, had another weekend to forget down in P20. Early damage was compounded by brake issues, which ultimately caused him to retire after just 27 laps.

While his DNF was punished with -19 points, Cadillac continued to suffer. Valtteri Bottas retired with brake problems and his teammate lost the team's first-ever points by being off his marks on both the original start and the late restart.

For once, Lance Stroll was unlucky to hit the barriers, as he tried to avoid running over some loose asphalt at the final corner, earning him -20 fantasy points. Franco Colapinto was a surprise loser in Monaco, as his streak of finishing ahead of Gasly ended. 

He got nil points for 14th, but in truth his weekend was ruined when he qualified in that very position. Colapinto has a little credit in the bank with Alpine. But he's not fully secure with the team, he’ll need to bounce back in Barcelona. 

Unlike in the real standings, where Antonelli is steaming ahead, it’s all change at the top in this week’s GP247 F1 Fantasy league. The Sammyed F1 Racing Team has been overtaken by Clipping on Straights, who made the difference with double points for Antonelli. 

It’s still relatively early doors, but Antonelli is the driver of the season so far. He's the must-have point scorer at the moment. At less than one third of the price, Lawson is the best value for money—and because he always starts near the back, Perez has also started collecting points for inheriting positions. 

By contrast, the McLarens are terrible value at over $25 million each. Fans have noticed as well, neither driver has been picked by more than 10% of F1 Fantasy players. Other poor performers included Sainz, who scored -4 points this weekend, but 25% of fans have stuck with him so far. Let's see how long that carried on. 

GP247’s F1 Fantasy league coverage resumes in Spain, as Antonelli tries to keep the good times rolling. Interested in joining our league? It’s free to sign up here.