F1 Manager 2022 | A Formula 1 game for the purists

Developed by Frontier, this game has unprecedented amounts of data allowing you to make critical decisions on the pit wall and in the office. You’ll also need to secure a future for your team by signing the most lucrative sponsorship deals and securing contracts with the best young driver talents. 

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On the pit wall 

Fancy being Toto Wolff, Christian Horner or perhaps even Guenther Steiner at Haas? When it comes to race week, this game offers a different perspective compared to previous F1 games. Instead of being inside the cockpit, you’re sitting on the pit wall making the crucial decisions for both of your drivers. 

In the build-up to the weekend, your inbox will be flooded with all the information required to get the best out of your car for that specific circuit. The player will be handed real historical data explaining what car characteristics are needed to get the best lap time. It’s up to you, as the team principal, to select the car parts you believe will benefit the team the most. 

Need a certain aerodynamic set-up for qualifying, but a slightly different set-up for the race? Then you’re in control to decide which is best. Haven’t got the part available? Then you will need to check if you’ve got room inside the budget cap and wind tunnel time to develop a new part. Dive into practice and see how the car is performing through both the qualifying simulations and race pace. You’ll be handed reports giving you the data required to request any changes overnight before qualifying. 

Race Day

In the race, you’ll feel all the stress and pressure as you manage both cars in every Grand Prix. Before starting, you’ll have to carefully analyse the recommended pit strategies and tyre options from Pirelli to select your race plan. You can choose a pre-set strategy, or tweak it to suit your own wants and needs. Fancy a quick start? You can under fuel the car but that’s something you’ll have to manage in the closing stages of the race.

You might not be driving the car when the lights go out, but you’re firmly in control. Choose from various cameras in and around the cockpit or see the track map to get an idea of where the cars are on the circuit. 

You’ll be able to view all the required data on your screen from both your own cars and rivals. This includes sector times, tyre wear, time intervals and fuel levels. You can tell your driver to push harder, save his tyres or deploy ERS if you’re in attack/defensive situations. All these commands are relaid over the team radio with real voices and names. 

The chosen strategy will tell you when your pit window is open. But it’s up to you when you pull the trigger. Perhaps you have to react to a safety car or red flag. Perhaps there isn’t a gap to place your driver into. Make the wrong choice and your driver could end up losing the race or crucial World Championship points. David Croft and Karun Chandhok provide the commentary. 

At the factory

With a full roster of world-class drivers from across F1, F2 and F3 to choose from, between seasons players will have the option to enlist new drivers and assemble their dream team from an authentic pool of current and future stars. Just like the real world of racing, over time drivers will retire from the sport, so it’s crucial players think ahead to ensure they’ve got a steady stream of upcoming talent in development if they want to secure their long-term motorsport legacy.

The team headquarters are the beating heart of any constructor, and in F1 Manager 2022 it’s no different. Aspiring Team Principals will control every aspect of their team from their state-of-the-art HQ. From scouting and investing in best-in-class staff, such as Race Engineers and the Head of Aerodynamics, to developing and assessing new car components, players will need to keep their fingers on the pulse to ensure they stay ahead of the competition, both now, and for future seasons to come.

Conclusion and opinion

This is a proper game for the Formula 1 nerd. The purists of Formula 1. The amount of data available to the player is unbelievable and it gives you a sense of just how complex F1 is. It delivers with a competitive nature. The number of variables available such as red flags, safety cars and weather makes it a proper challenge as well. But full tutorials and explanations are available so if you're new to Formula 1, this game is a great way to get embedded within the sport and learn how it works. 

F1 Manager 2022 launches on August 30 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Players looking to get ahead of the grid will be able to pre-order the game digitally and experience F1 Manager 2022 a full five days early from August 25