Motor Manager Runde 19: captain picks and best buys

Motor Manager Runde 19 preview: Mexico best buys, captain and who to sell

Motor Manager Runde 19 is the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the deadline on Saturday 31 October. It is the first race of the block that decides the end of the season: Mexico and Brazil on back-to-back weekends, with deadlines on 31 October and 7 November, then two weeks off before Las Vegas on 21 November. Five races are left in the game. So Runde 19 is not a one-race decision. The squad you set before Mexico is very likely the squad that scores Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, and every pick below is judged on that block.

The latest projections move three things. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has closed to 5.7k behind Max Verstappen, so the captain call is now a two-man race. The Red Bull constructor is still the best constructor and has pulled 6.0k a race clear of Mercedes, for 3.9m less. And the cheap drivers have spread out again: Liam Lawson projects 91.8k, while Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz are below 30k, so the budget slots are no longer a coin toss.

Numbers below are TheFantasyTool projections (xP, in thousands of holdet points), points per million (PPM = xP / price) and the real points each asset scored over the last five scored races, Runde 13 to Runde 17. The United States result in Runde 18 is not in these figures yet. Our projections for Runde 19 to Runde 23 are currently the same from race to race, so the three-race total is three times the Runde 19 figure; they move to race-specific numbers as the betting markets for each race open, and the five-race record is what separates two assets with similar projections. Sort the full list yourself on the Motor Manager player picks page.

The program behind Runde 19: Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas

Every asset faces the same three races, so what decides who is worth owning over the block is the size of the projection, the price you pay for it and which way the form is moving. The table ranks the leading assets by projected points over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, with the five-race record beside it.

Two programs stand out. Red Bull is the team to own for the block: Verstappen has the best five-race total of any driver at 1,535k, the Red Bull constructor is the top constructor projection for all three races, and Isack Hadjar is the best mid-price driver in the game. Racing Bulls is the value story at the other end: its pit crew projects the same as the Red Bull crew for 5.5m less. Mercedes is the premium hold. It has the top pit crew projection at 300.0k and the most-owned driver and constructor, and Antonelli now projects almost level with Verstappen for 1.1m less.

Best pit crew for Runde 19

RB pit crew (6.4m, Racing Bulls) is the buy for Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas: 266.1k → 266.1k → 266.1k, 798.3k over the block, and 41.7 points per million, the best value of any asset in the game. It projects the same as the Red Bull crew for 5.5m less and 73.8k more than the Audi crew at the same price. Its record is steady rather than spectacular (165k → 110k → 170k → 175k → 180k), with three straight improvements. Why now: the money it saves is what pays for Verstappen or Antonelli and the Red Bull constructor, and those moves need to be in before Mexico to count in all three races.

Mercedes pit crew (14.2m) is the hold. It has the highest projection in the game at 300.0k, 900.0k over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, and 1,450k over the last five races. If you own it and the rest of your squad is set, keep it. It projects 33.9k a race more than RB for 7.8m more, so it is not the crew to buy.

Ferrari pit crew (13.0m) is the premium crew in form. It climbed in every race from Runde 13 to Runde 17 (120k → 140k → 240k → 275k → 345k) and projects 284.6k a race, 853.8k over the block. That is 18.5k more per race than the Red Bull crew for 1.1m more, so if you are spending big on a crew and do not own Mercedes, Ferrari is the one.

The Red Bull crew (11.9m) has the better five-race record of the two Red Bull-family crews (1,425k against 800k), but the projection is level with RB for each of the three races. For owners that makes it the cheapest place in the squad to find 5.5m if you need money for an upgrade before Mexico.

Best constructors for Runde 19

Red Bull (10.6m) is the constructor to buy for Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas: 189.8k → 189.8k → 189.8k, 569.4k over the block. That is 6.0k more than Mercedes per race for 3.9m less, and 18.8k more than Ferrari for 1.1m less. Its 17.9 PPM is the best of any constructor. Its last five races read 135k → 206k → 233k → 361k → 241k. Why now: it is the top constructor projection in all three races, and buying it before 31 October gets you all three.

Mercedes (14.5m) projects 183.8k for each of Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, 551.4k in total, and has the best five-race constructor total at 1,459k. At 47.9% owned it protects your rank, so keeping it beside Red Bull is fine if the money works. If it does not, Mercedes is the premium to cash in (see the sell section).

Ferrari (11.7m) has the steepest form of any constructor, 125k → 128k → 195k → 225k → 330k, and projects 171.0k for each of the three races, 513.0k in total, at 14.6 PPM. It is a hold for the 40.3% who own it. Red Bull is the better buy for 1.1m less, so you can wait on this one.

The cheap constructors have separated. RB (4.3m, Racing Bulls) is the money-saver for Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas: 63.1k a race, 189.3k over the block, at 14.7 PPM, and 439k over the last five races. It projects 16.7k more than Alpine (3.6m) for 0.7m more. Avoid the very cheapest constructors: Cadillac (2.7m) projects 1.7k a race and Aston Martin (3.9m) 12.4k.

Best drivers for Runde 19

Max Verstappen (14.6m, Red Bull) is the top driver for the block: 222.5k → 222.5k → 222.5k over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, 667.5k in total. His last four scored races read 270k → 270k → 405k → 355k, and his 1,535k over five races is the best of any driver. At 36.5% owned he still separates you from the majority who hold Antonelli. Why now: he is the projected captain for all three races, and owning him before 31 October is what gives you that captain for the whole block.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (13.5m, Mercedes) is now a buy as well as a hold. He projects 216.8k a race, 650.4k over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, only 17.1k behind Verstappen across the block for 1.1m less, and his 16.1 PPM is the best of the premium drivers. His record (415k → 345k → 185k → 270k → 235k) is the second-best of any driver at 1,450k. At 53.2% owned he is the template, and owning both him and Verstappen gives you the two best captain options for the whole block.

Isack Hadjar (9.5m, Red Bull) is the mid-price differential for Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas: 143.6k a race, 430.8k over the block, at 15.1 PPM. He projects more than George Russell, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for 3.5m to 5.0m less each, and he is the only driver between 8m and 11m. His record is short, two blanks in Runde 13 and 14 and then 210k → 170k → 140k, so he is a calculated risk. In return he gives you a second share of the Red Bull program, and only 15.6% own him.

Charles Leclerc (12.8m, Ferrari) is the third-best driver projection at 168.3k a race, 504.9k over the block, and the form driver of the Ferrari pair, with 330k in Runde 17 and four good races out of five (50k → 210k → 230k → 185k → 330k). Lewis Hamilton (11.5m, Ferrari) projects 8.2k less for 1.4m less, 480.3k over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, and has the better PPM (14.0 against 13.1). If you own either, there is no reason to swap. If you are buying one Ferrari driver for the block, Leclerc is the points pick and Hamilton the value pick.

Lando Norris (13.6m) projects 137.2k, 2.5k behind Russell for 0.9m less, and his run has a 40k in it, so he is a hold rather than a buy.

Budget drivers for Runde 19

Below 9m the projections fall in steps, and from Lawson down to Lindblad every driver sits between 12.7 and 12.9 PPM. So the budget slots are a straight trade of money for points: the more you spend, the more you get back. Compare every cheap driver side by side in the Motor Manager driver and constructor picks.

Liam Lawson (7.1m, Racing Bulls) is the best of the cheap drivers for Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas: 91.8k a race, 275.4k over the block, at 12.9 PPM. His last two scored races were 163k and 165k. He projects 11.7k more than Pierre Gasly for 0.8m more and 25.4k more than Nico Hulkenberg for 1.9m more.

Nico Hulkenberg (5.2m, Audi) is the budget pick with the most reliable record: four straight races above 100k (118k → 115k → 102k → 150k) and 66.4k a race projected, 199.2k over the block, at 12.7 PPM. 19.4% own him.

Arvid Lindblad (4.7m, Racing Bulls) is the cheapest driver worth holding for the block: 61.0k a race at 12.9 PPM. Runde 17 was a miss at 30k after four races between 135k and 177k, and at 35.9% owned this is a hold, not a differential.

Best captain for Motor Manager Runde 19

The captain scores double, and only drivers can be captain. Max Verstappen is the captain for Mexico: 222.5k projected, 445.0k as captain, and the highest-projected driver. His recent form backs it up, with 405k and 355k in Runde 16 and Runde 17. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the close alternative at 216.8k, 433.6k as captain, only 5.7k behind, and the pick if you do not own Verstappen. Charles Leclerc (168.3k, 336.6k as captain) is a distant third.

Captaincy is a plan for the whole block, not one race. With the projections the same for Brazil and Las Vegas, Verstappen is also the projected captain in Runde 20 and Runde 21, with Antonelli the back-up in each. The gap between them is small enough that the race-week numbers can flip it, which is why owning both gives you the best armband in every race of Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas.

Who to sell before Runde 19

Sell George Russell (14.5m, Mercedes). 139.7k is not a bad projection, and his 405k in Runde 15 shows the ceiling. But he is the most expensive driver in the game after Verstappen, his 9.6 PPM is the second-weakest of the premium drivers, and Hadjar projects 3.9k more for 5.0m less. Why now: the swap made before 31 October counts in all three races of Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas, and the money goes towards Verstappen, Antonelli or the Red Bull constructor from the first race.

Sell Oscar Piastri (13.0m, McLaren). His record is steady (170k → 130k → 100k → 180k → 170k) and 122.1k is a fair projection. The problem is the price: he has the lowest PPM of the premium drivers at 9.4, and Hadjar projects 21.5k more for 3.5m less. Why now: over the three-race block that is 64.5k more for less money, and the gain starts in Mexico.

Sell the McLaren constructor (12.8m). 128.0k is a decent projection and Runde 17 was a solid 186k. But Red Bull projects 61.8k more per race for 2.3m less. Why now: across Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas that is 185.4k more for less money, and the swap counts from the first of the three races.

Sell the Williams constructor (5.4m). It projects 7.7k a race and scored 0k in each of Runde 16 and Runde 17, yet 8.7% still own it. RB projects 55.4k more per race for 1.1m less. Why now: there is no good race for it in the block to wait for, so every race you keep it costs points.

Sell Carlos Sainz (5.9m, Williams). 17.9% of managers own him, and he projects 28.8k a race. Hulkenberg projects 37.6k more for 0.7m less, and Lindblad 32.2k more for 1.2m less. Why now: over Mexico → Brazil → Las Vegas the Hulkenberg swap is worth 112.8k and frees money at the same time. The same logic applies to Sergio Perez (3.6m, Cadillac), owned by 11.2% and projected at 18.1k a race: Lindblad projects 42.9k more for 1.1m more, so this one is a points move that costs money, and if the 1.1m is not there before Mexico you can wait a round on it.

Sell the Mercedes constructor (14.5m) if you do not have Red Bull. It is not a bad asset: 183.8k a race and the best five-race constructor record. But Red Bull projects 6.0k more per race for 3.9m less. Why now: Red Bull is ahead in all three races of the block, so the swap gains points and frees money from the first deadline. If you already own both and the money works, you can keep Mercedes.

Transfer summary for Runde 19

Buy: the RB pit crew, the Red Bull constructor, Verstappen and Antonelli, Hadjar as the low-owned mid-price option, Lawson or Hulkenberg in a budget slot, the RB constructor as the cheap constructor. Hold: the Mercedes or Ferrari pit crew if you own one, the Mercedes constructor if the money works, the Ferrari constructor, Leclerc or Hamilton, Lindblad. Sell: Russell, Piastri, the McLaren and Williams constructors, Sainz, Perez when the money allows, the Mercedes constructor if you need the money for Red Bull. Captain: Verstappen, with Antonelli the close alternative, for all three races.

The optimal teams for Motor Manager page solves the best legal squad live, for Runde 19 alone or for several races together. Check the Motor Manager schedule for the Mexico and Brazil double and the gap before Las Vegas, and the Motor Manager market probabilities once the betting markets for Mexico open. Last round's picks are in the Motor Manager Runde 18 preview, and every round is collected in the Motor Manager preview hub. New to the game? Start with the Motor Manager strategy guide.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Motor Manager Runde 19?

Max Verstappen. He projects 222.5k for Mexico, 445.0k as captain, the highest of any driver. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is only 5.7k behind at 216.8k and is the alternative; the two are also the top captain options for Brazil and Las Vegas.

What is the best pit crew in Motor Manager Runde 19?

The RB pit crew is the best buy: 266.1k projected per race at 6.4m, level with the Red Bull crew for 5.5m less and the best value in the game at 41.7 points per million. The Mercedes crew has the top projection at 300.0k and is the hold for anyone who owns it.

Is Red Bull worth buying for Motor Manager Runde 19?

Yes, the constructor, Verstappen and Hadjar. The Red Bull constructor projects 189.8k per race, 6.0k more than Mercedes for 3.9m less, Verstappen is the top driver and captain, and Hadjar out-projects Russell, Norris and Piastri for far less money. All three carry the same projection through Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas. The Red Bull pit crew is level with the much cheaper RB crew, so that is the one Red Bull asset not to buy.

Should I sell George Russell before Motor Manager Runde 19?

Yes. Russell projects 139.7k at 14.5m, and Isack Hadjar projects 3.9k more for 5.0m less. A swap made before 31 October counts in all three races of Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas.

Which cheap drivers are best for Motor Manager Runde 19?

Liam Lawson (7.1m, 91.8k) is the best of the cheap drivers. Nico Hulkenberg (5.2m, 66.4k) has the steadiest record, with four straight races above 100k, and Arvid Lindblad (4.7m, 61.0k) is the cheapest driver worth holding. Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez project below 30k and are the ones to move on.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.