Hints and Tips

If you are new to Fantasy Grand Prix then this could be worth a quick read! Lots of tips and advice in no particular order. If you have played before, then it's a good reminder - plus a few new things this year!

Very Important! This season sees a vast number of changes to the rules of F1 along with other changes. Brand new car design rules, radical new engine rules, new teams (Audi and Cadillac), an extra team on the grid, along with new engine suppliers and teams swapping who they take their engines from. With this in mind a lot of the prices and any advice here could well be just speculation!

• Use the Team Selector to create your team. It's much easier than trying to add it all up yourself. It calculates your costs, tells you when you've overspent and checks for errors in your team set-up. It can be used as an entry form that you can save and email to Kevin. Please contact Kevin for a copy.
• Read the F1 Drivers and Teams Guide, every driver and constructor gets a mention along with basic engine details.
• The prices of Drivers and Cars in Fantasy Grand Prix is somewhat skewed. It is purposely created this way so as to avoid teams at the start of the season having too many elements from the top teams.
• It pays to get as many higher value elements in the team as possible. Going for a team with all middle prices hasn't worked in the past, so there's no reason to think it will now!
• Do Not expect to be able to get the best team at the start of the season. The prices will not allow it!
• Lower priced F1 teams at the start of the season are not all bad! They often trundle around at the back whilst teams further up the grid may get involved in traffic and crashes... thus meaning the little teams will score some improvement points.
• Whilst Drivers may score big points, if they don't finish that's that... whereas Cars are two to a team, if one stops you can still pick up some points from the other. It's a balancing act!
• T1 transfers are designed as a smaller correction phase. You can't use any of the Bigger elements here.
• The first Transfer periods (T1) is Free. i.e. You do not lose Championship Points.
• T2 is an important set of transfers. Use it to upgrade your team, taking out the smaller and under-performing elements to replace with some bigger ones.
• This year, you can make one Transfer from T2 for Free, after that you may make a maximum of two more transfers but they will cost you 50 points off your Championship total.
• The third and final set of transfers (T3) will cost you 350 championship points for every transfer you make from then on. Points are removed from your overall/Championship score. So, when choosing to transfer, bear in mind you have to make up those points and then get more for it to be worthwhile...
• ...However, and this bit is worth noting... if you consider yourself not in a Championship contending position, it is well worth transferring in all you can to get the best out of your team in the remaining races. The top teams in the championship will need to think very carefully about making a T3 transfer - there are only six races left to make up for that 350 point 'fee'! If you are not in that Top 10 fight then go for broke and you may just get yourself some more Race Prize money.
• Just remember when choosing for Transfers 3, although it is easier this year to get two bigger items in there, it will cost you a massive 700 Championship points to get both into your team come the time!!
• Read the Point Scoring System It's not as complicated as it may first appear. Use that knowledge when deciding on your team. In general if a driver or constructor does well in the F1 race they will do well in the FGP points.
• You may enter as many teams as you like. When doing so, it is best to make those teams as different to each other as possible, thus spreading your chances.
• F1 has two Tests this year prior to the race season starting, taking place over two three day sessions. The teams will all test their cars ahead of the season start. See how the teams perform. Although these tests are by no means a true reflection as to how the drivers and teams may perform in the season, it does give some indicators as to who is 'there' and who is possibly not. All the F1 News sites will cover the tests and their results.

There are no secret winning formulas and nothing is hidden!  But, a knowledge of what's what in F1 will always help.

email Kevin Staden with any questions you have.