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There is a lot to love about F1 Manager 23, which sees an increase in realism, presenting players with tougher choices.
Players of last year’s game will recognise the UI (Image Credit: F1 Manager 23)One of the best reasons to buy last year’s F1 Manager 2022 was the massive attention to detail it offered. No stone was left unturned to create an experience that allowed F1 nerds to recreate playing as their favourite team. Everything from authentic radio messages to controlling car upgrades put players in the role of Team Principal.
Even with the vast amount of detail and learning required, players who put in the necessary hours to understand the concept could easily pick up the game. It was for F1 fans who wanted a complete manager experience. It is a fantastic game.
Fast forward 12 months, and we now have the sequel. Frontier Developments have taken the same recipe that proved so successful last year and added to it for 2023.
Like EA, Frontier has concentrated on incremental improvements beneath the surface. Having played the Preview Build, the fundamental product still looks the same, with UI receiving a facelift and added detail. The visor cam also debuts as a camera angle with all drivers available. This adds a unique perspective to the races.
Drivers: Confidence and development
Driver confidence is crucial to a race weekend. Low confidence will lead to mistakes (Image Credit: F1 Manager 23)One thing to note is that the competitive order in the game is that of the start of the season. But curious as to how Oscar Piastri would perform as a fully-fledged driver in F1 Manager 23, I selected McLaren to start a career. Given the game’s competitive order, I knew McLaren would be at the back.
Piastri’s rating is that of last year, 75. The game’s algorithm identifies him as a rookie driver, therefore, prone to making mistakes. One of the reasons behind this was a new confidence meter. This is a vital component in F1 Manager 2023 and will impact driver performance. Despite my best efforts, four compromising errors were made over the weekend from Oscar.
Piastri then crashed out on his first lap in the first practice session of the second race in Saudi Arabia. Given his crashes in the first race, this did become somewhat frustrating.
Lando Norris was also error-prone during both weekends, with several issues causing confidence issues despite my best efforts. With no mid-session save available, fans must either live with these random incidents or restart the session and hope for the best.
I decided to see if this was an isolated incident and played the new “Race Replay” mode (more on that later), aiming to get Williams points in Australia. To try and get both drivers up the order, I put Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant into “aggressive” driving mode. Within one lap, Sargeant had crashed out.
Players may become frustrated with random crashes and driver behaviour that does not match their real-life counterparts. Thankfully these crashes can be ironed out by the new driver development tool. This allows players to select key areas of driver performance.
Older drivers and drivers that DNF will see their ratings decline. This adds a new level of complexity to selecting your lineup that current F1 teams must navigate.
F2 and F3 championships play out during the season. This means talent can be scouted throughout the year. In an enhanced offering from last year, both drivers can now be signed for the following season and immediate start.
Car development and cost cap
The pit crews can now be given development focus during a season (Image Credit: F1 Manager 23)Players also now have to be tactical away from the track. Core team personnel get development goals and pathways to explore. This will lead to improvements for both car and team. This is a brilliant addition to the game, allowing players to develop the team in their desired direction.
Pit stop training has also been updated with a new development pathway. Teams now make mistakes during stops, which are seen in the race. Players can now organise focus for the pit crew by day and task. A new “Sporting Director” role implements these changes, which adds another layer of authenticity to F1 Manager. There is now an incentive to improve performance, as pit stops are now timed and compared to the rest of the grid.
Upgrades have also received a significant overhaul. Parts now carry weight considerations as well as wear. Light aerodynamic upgrades and parts weigh less but will need to be replaced more regularly. Larger parts weigh more but are more durable.
Car upgrades can get delayed, resulting in difficult financial decisions (Image Credit: F1 Manager 23)This adds complexity to player decision-making but presents players with a choice. A car must be upgraded to stay competitive on the grid, let alone move up the order. A car must also be repaired and is a costly venture. It becomes challenging to upgrade if players have to repair frequent car damage.
Players also need to make difficult decisions around expenditure. Development of car parts can overrun, and all departments can overspend. This is particularly true for teams on low budgets as cost savings will be necessary.
New modes
Race replays allow players to rewrite race results from this season through challenges (Image Credit: F1 Manager 23)Race Replay is a fantastic idea with two options. The first is “Starting Grid”. This reruns the entire replicated race as any team. The goal of this mode is to improve on the original result. Fans of Ferrari and Mercedes can aim to dethrone Max Verstappen.
The second is “Race Moments”, which presents players with a specific scenario. Both, however, contain random moments of madness that can cause your drivers to be compromised or eliminated.
For those purchasing the Deluxe Mode, a series of exclusive “Scenarios” are on offer. These are specific challenges across all 2023 races and are an intriguing addition. Race Moments fully replicate the 2023 season, so this will likely be ported to career mode in future updates.
Sprint Races also make their debut in F1 Manager 23. Successfully managing the confidence meter will be a tough challenge for players across a weekend, which some will relish.
Algorithms create realism
F1 Manager 23 should, on paper, appeal to F1 nerds. However, new challenges will push gamers. Players will need to think tactically about upgrades now that weight is added to the car with every new part. While this is a consideration for teams today, inclusion in a videogame will result in complex choices.
The confidence meter during a race weekend will only fill up if a player grinds the hours during practice sessions. Tyre wear also requires tactical thinking to prevent drop-offs during races.
The result is a car that needs more improvement over a season. Depending on their rating, drivers can crash out if asked to push even slightly. This results in a circle of damage limitation and costly repair work. Away from the circuit, depending on your budget, you must actively watch your funds or risk financial ruin.
Frontier has tried hard to make the game challenging. While F1 Manager 22 was for F1 nerds, F1 Manager 23 is not for the faint of heart. It is for avid F1 super nerds happy to make difficult decisions and play with extreme attention to detail.
F1 Manager 23 releases on July 31st, with Deluxe Edition player early access from 4 pm July 27th.
Feature Image Credit: F1 Manager 23