Formula 1 Imola Grand Prix DFS: DraftKings Daily Fantasy F1 Lineup Picks

Happy race week, Rotoballers! Who's ready for some Formula 1 DFS? That's right — DraftKings has added Formula 1, which means RotoBaller is responding by adding some Formula 1 pieces.

It's already been a crazy weekend in Imola. First, some wet Friday weather caused a ton of whirls and twirls as drivers adjusted to the conditions. However, Red Bull's Max Verstappen came out on top in qualifying ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Then, on Saturday, the fireworks continued as Leclerc led 99 percent of the race before the reigning world champion passed him with two laps to go to claim eight Driver's championship points and pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix.

Below you will find our Formula 1 DraftKings DFS lineup picks for April 24th, with the slate locking at 9:00 a.m. ET. If you have any questions or want to talk about Formula 1, you can find me on Twitter at @EuanOrYouOut.

How Does Formula 1 Fantasy Work?

If you're familiar with using DraftKings for NASCAR, this Formula 1 format is going to feel really, really different from what you're used to. It's a lot closer to the NFL single-game showdown slates than it is to anything on the NASCAR side.

So, here's how the scoring and format work. 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.

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 (finished 90% of the race, essentially), and points for place differential. Finish three spots higher than your grid position and you get two points. Finish five better, and you get three points. Finish 10 better to get five points. You also lose points for 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 it probably had to be confusing for Formula 1 DFS to work.

Now that we've gone over that let's talk drivers. And bare with me, as this whole F1 fantasy thing is new to all of us.

Captain/Constructor Stack Pick: Max Verstappen ($10,400), Red Bull ($11,000)

Starting Position: 1st

Far be it from me to go against the current leader in the Driver's Championship (Charles Leclerc), but Red Bull looks impressive this weekend. We've been assured their fuel system issues are solved, and the results over the last two days have provided the evidence to back that up.

Verstappen won the right to lead off the sprint after setting the fastest lap in Friday's qualifying. Then, after losing the leading on Lap 1 of the sprint, he passed Leclerc with two laps to go and held on to grab a vital eight points as he attempts to claw his way back into championship contention.

He and Red Bull are showing those two DNFs in the first three races are behind them. And, with a teammate, Sergio Perez, starting in third, it could be a fantastic bounce-back race for the Red Bull paddock.

Sergio Perez ($9,000)

Starting position: 3rd

Hello there, Mr. Checo. The Mexican driver finished third in Saturday's sprint and is showing exactly what he can do in the Red Bull car. While his teammate has two DNFs in three races, Perez has a pole position and a podium to his name in 2022. A third-place finish in Saturday's Sprint race showed just how strong he is driving and how confident he is in the current car.

It wouldn't be surprising to see a Red Bull 1-2 on Sunday afternoon's podium, given the team's results in Imola. Couple that with Perez's consistency (outside of Bahrain), and you've got a match made in heaven. Red Bull has an opportunity to put a significant dent in Ferrari's momentum this weekend, and Perez finishing on the podium with Verstappen would accomplish that goal.

Lando Norris ($8,000)

Starting position: 5th

Well, well, well, McLaren, you sly dog. After downplaying the results from Australia as a "track performance," the papaya car finds itself on the third row for Sunday's race. Everyone not wearing Australian-tinted glasses can see Norris is McLaren's future, and I expect the team to give the Brit their complete focus for the Grand Prix. Norris is an excellent pivot if you can't fit the Red Bull 1-2 in your team.

He's collected championship points in back-to-back races, and seems to be defying the odds despite a less-than-ideal car at his disposal. While DFS managers shouldn't usually ignore Ferrari, they could be feeling the pressure in a home race. Setting a Ferrari-less lineup may be the perfect way to take down a tournament and have an incredibly different lineup from the rest of the field. So Norris or Daniel Ricciardo ($7,600) are great alternatives to the Italians in red.

Fernando Alonso ($5,800)

Starting position: 9th

Three active drivers have won in Imola. Max Verstappen in 2021. Lewis Hamilton in 2020. And Fernando Alonso in 2005. Yes, you read that correctly. Alonso won on this track 17 years ago. For context, George Bush was one year into his second term. Now, the Spaniard is the veteran among the 20 drivers but is putting together some of his best performances in years.

During qualifying in Australia, he had a real chance at the front row before a hydraulics issue saw that challenge come to an end. Then, he was flying during the race before a strategic error and tire wear cost him a result in the points. Fortunately, he's bounced back in Imola and can snatch a great result on Sunday afternoon.

Alonso was seventh in Practice 1, qualified in fifth for the sprint race, then had the fifth-fastest lap in Practice 2. While he finished outside the points in Saturday's sprint, I think he saved himself for Sunday. The Alpine car looks stronger than Haas and McLaren this year, and if the veteran can avoid any errors, a top-five finish is in the cards.

Alexander Albon ($3,600)

Starting position: 18th

While it's been bleak times at Williams Racing for a few seasons now, it makes the highs more memorable. One of them will be Alex Albon going 57 laps on the same hard tires before pitting on the final lap and still finishing in the points in Australia. It was a terrific storyline, but it also resulted in a great tweet from the social media team.

Coming soon to a screen near you...😉 pic.twitter.com/EfDplSwa79

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) April 13, 2022

On Sunday, he finds himself starting near the back of the pack in 18th position. However, it provides an avenue for him to score many overtaking points for our DFS lineups. While I'm not sure he will jump from 18th to eighth and gives us 10 grid points again, he's a pretty sure bet to beat his teammate, Nicholas Latifi, and climb a bit up the grid by the end of Sunday's race.

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