I can fire Stroll :D

I won't stop until I make Logan Sargeant world champion.

Stroll just crashed in Singapore under a VSC
Realism 10/10

Look, I’ll tell this beforehand, I’ve been a hardcore F1-fan for more than 30 years. When there is no race I’m following F1-news, love all the on- and off track drama and everything related to the sport. So this review will maybe be a bit over critical but it comes from a good place. F1 manager is supposed to be giving you the feeling that you’re calling the shots be it on or off track. It succeeds in some, but fails in most. Here’s my comprehensive review.

The drivers arrive trackside on Wednesdays or Thursdays on average, where Thursday is press day (which the game doesn’t use to any extent btw). On Fridays (on a non-sprint weekend) the drivers have two 1-hour practice sessions, Saturday has a third 1 hour practice and Qualifying and on Sundays they drive the GP (+- 300 KM or 186,5 Miles). The practice sessions make or break a drivers weekend. Crashing or having mechanical issues will, more often than not, result in a below average qualifying and race result. F1 manager tries to simulate these conditions by tracking 3 parameters: Track-, setup-, and parts knowledge. These 3 parameters result in a weekend average of confidence which has an impact on their Quali and/or race results. Are you with me so far? Great.

Where F1-managers falls short is that there is no focus on the use of tires during the race weekend at all. F1 uses 3 different compounds of tires during a race weekend (soft, medium and hard tires) all with their own time delta an unique operating temperature. Knowing the graining and overall degradation of each of the compounds is an major aspect of having a successful Quali and race. F1 manager misses out by not forcing the player to do a mandatory amount of tire tests. F1 irl has a race and Quali simulation test somewhere during practice sessions, F1 manager has none which messes with feeling of being in charge of an F1-weekend.

The qualifying sessions are as close a real race weekend in terms of on track action. I really love the addition of mandatory tire use on some race weekends (hard Q3, medium Q2, soft Q1). Missed chance is not implementing the new sprint-weekend setup which has regular qualifying on Friday and the Sprint-quali and race on Saturday. Instead it follows the old rules where a sprint-weekend has a sprint race on Saturday which determines the grid on Sunday (a format which sucked irl imo).

Huge frustration during qualifying is drivers on in- and out laps blocking the drivers on a quali lap. Sure, it happens irl as well but you just know that when you come across a slow driving car in a certain turn that you can terminate your fast lap because you’re going to be held up. It’s better than in last year's game but it’s not good enough. Just make the threshold for drivers slowing down and giving space even bigger than it’s now (within 5 seconds for instance). And if the drivers do impede then give them a penalty, no penalties are given in qualifying, ever.

The race is a big hit or miss also, tire management is just not good, like at all. Driving in dirty air has huge repercussions in a real F1-race, on your tires, on your engine (cooling). But driving within 1 second has a real biig advantage irl, DRS. But the DRS in F1-manager barely does anything, maybe you gain a tenth or 2. You know what happens when a Red Bull follows a McLaren on the Baku (over 1 KM) straight with DRS, it blasts past them, even when being over 0,7 seconds behind them. But there’s little real impactful tire and temperature management, blue flags and drivers getting out of the way is non-existing and when taking over a car that’s about to be lapped they become a menace by clinging on to your back because they now have DRS and all of a sudden have a car that’s able to keep up with you.

A compliment where a compliment is deserved of, the UI in the management portion of the game is great. Everything is easy to find, you get accustomed to each menu and sub-menu within a couple of hours. If you have played last years game the transition is almost one-on-one. Good stuff. The team management in itself is good but still to shallow for my taste. Give me more options to train the drivers, let me take them to the simulator and drive a race with them to improve certain aspects. Let me have conversations with the crew, let me see the pitcrew training, let me pinpoint on where to exactly improve. I want to feel immersed in F1, this gives me the feeling that I’m experiencing the surface of something that has much more depth.

If you made it this far, massive respect for your persistence. Like I said, I’ll probably spent an insane amount of hours with this game. Because I’ve just put Verstappen and Norris in the same team, Verstappen has Bono as his engineer and Norris has GP. I can take the best personnel from each team and make an all-star F1 team. Develop my car into an absolute beast only to be thrown back in the midfield at the start of the season (what is that about?).

Is F1 manager 2023 good enough to have a casual experience of what F1 is like? Yes. Is F1 manager 2023 good enough for more hardcore fans looking for something that truly represents their beloved sport? No, not by a long shot. And given the lack of support of the ’22 game and the financial results of Frontier this last year it doesn’t bode well for F1 manager ’23 to get proper support, where bugs are fixed and more features are added.

If you read all this I hope that I’ve helped a bit in making a purchase decision. Thanks for reading.

I defended Frontier before the release of this game. I will not make that mistake again. F1 Manager 23 urinates on the grave of a beloved dead franchise. This reanimated corpse has started to smell and fall apart. My recommendation is to not buy another entry in this series and to go play Motorsport Manager instead. I do not recommend this game to anybody.

There are major bugs that go unfixed, the game cannot get the F1 rules correct. The major example is the AI will use the same tire compound for each stint in their race, while F1 rules require that 2 different compounds are used with 1 compound being a mandatory compound (medium or hard) with an exception for when wet tires are needed. The developers kept promising to fix things in the game, but never addressed this glaring issue.

The latest hot fix introduced a regression where the cost-cap in the game will not display correct figures. You will still be held to the cost cap, but don't know what it is due to the display issue. That regression from the hot fix still has not been fixed. For me, this makes the game almost unplayable.

The races feel clunky and awkward this year. The simulation behind the scenes determine certain outcomes, such as two drivers racing wheel-to-wheel coming into contact. The display engine to render that outcome seems to have to force the outcome, which results in weird issues where drivers appear to try to kill their rivals by turning directly into them. There are various other issues reported all over the Steam forums and Subreddit with funny screenshots, such as cars coming to the pits and then exiting and racing with no tires.

The lack of care is evident in this game. I love F1, and I love the concept of this game. The execution is poor, and with issues not being remediated, I feel duped. I forgave these actions last year thinking it was the first game and the issues would be fixed in the second. I should have waited to see. Do not buy this game, do not buy next years' entry. Frontier needs to lose this license.

Last time we'll ever see Guenther on the cover.

It's basically last year's game with minor changes and updated drivers.

There's still a lot missing, drivers still get punished for crashes they didn't cause and strategy is much less important because the punishment for overheating tires is now much more severe, making alternative strategies basically useless. Cars still get held up a lot during qualifying. DRS trains are still massive. Driver confidence sounded nice on paper, but doesn't matter if you're not in a front-running team.

Some parts got even worse, such as car part development where you can't just press a button anymore to compare your car to others, now you have to click multiple times. Also, the interface got worse overall.

And these are just the details. There are still major flaws, such as the sprint weekends still being wrong or AI using significantly less engines over a season.

If you haven't played F1 Manager 2022, you can get this one on sale and once more of the obvious stuff is fixed. If you already own F1 Manager 2022, don't be as stupid as me, stay away from the game. Maybe we'll get the game we've paid for next year.

I badly want to like it, but this game has released unfinished and unfun.
- Driver confidence makes no sense and is game-breaking. If you're a back runner and qualify high, your drivers confidence will be destroyed in a few laps as the pack inevitably gobbles them up. You are better off qualifying last on purpose to gain confidence through overtakes.
- Overtaking lapped cars is stil an issue. If you and an opposing car approach a backmarker, prepare for the backmarker to move aside for your competitor and then block you up for the next 3 laps. It happens every race. Happened in 2022 and was never fix.
- Most importantly, the tires make absolutely no sense. I have tried replaying a few races to just get a basic understanding, as clearly there's more depth than I can gather. To me it seems nearly random. Old hards are out-pacing new softs. 35% softs are regularly hitting fastest lap times. If you've grinded out a 5-6 gap to your closest competitor by managing ERS and tyres, prepare to have that competitor just out of nowhere beat their best lap by 3 seconds and be right behind you. If there's game depth hidden, I'd rather just see it somewhere. Give me one sentence that the Aston Martin on old hards has come alive to explain why my fresh softs are losing 2 seconds a lap to them. I need to be able to be able to see why some cars can run faster lap times when their tyres are 28, because if I can't see the reason I just assume there isn't one and it's random.
- I understand why this mechanic was added, I really do, but I absolutely HATE the new driver AI. The driver AI being able to just randomly attack without warning is fine on paper but these races are 2 hours long and there's a x16 speed to simulate part of the race. You cannot simulate a single lap without risk of them disappearing into the distance. You can dip to an insurmountable 2-5 second gap in one lap if you're not paying attention,. Even on x16 I now have to micro-manage every single lap and that is terribly not fun for the way I play.

For me, there's not one single thing that was improved upon from 2022. The things I liked are now worse and the things I didn't like still exist. I was going to pass this year as I'm still enjoying 2022, but the FOMO got to me and I thought Vegas might be worth it. I wish I had've not purchased. 2022 scratches the itch I have and 2023 does not.

I have been banned TWICE from the forum for sharing links to this review....be warned, HONEST REVIEWS Are NOT Welcome on STEAM.

1st Ban Reason: None Given.

2nd Ban Reason:
Discussing Moderation. Since you've received one already and still do not follow the rules of Steam this will go into effect.

I have read the STEAM Forum Rules - I haven't broken ANY.
(Discussing Moderation is NOT on the list).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg_r6xYcm5w

You have to be a blinkered fanatic, a paid off influencer or a complete moron to think that F1 Manager 2022 was a faultless game. For Frontier to stop development after a mere 3 months, leaving behind numerous in-game bugs and issues has NOT done the company or the franchise any favours.
https://youtu.be/t0VlSJm6ep4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXYri1IKHlc&list=PL-Al6rzTlW-hcycikTsq-0bmadlSGZ7B_

I paid full price for F1 manager 2022 and I am angry that they dropped the game so quickly.
Frontier have sent me a review key for F1 2023, mark my words that won’t guarantee a positive review from me; I am still pissed off about F1 Manager 2022, so they will have to impress me a lot and win me over.

UNFORTUNATELY they only sent me the key 24hours before release, so I have had to rush this review through, all gameplay can be viewed on my Youtube Channels and you can see for yourself any bugs or issues I encountered in real-time.

1. F1 Manager 2023 is the better game of the two in every single department; this is a noticeable upgrade.
a. Tyre wear, management and relevance have been greatly improved.
i. Surface and Carcass Temps making management WAY MORE Important.

b. AI race behaviour, events and situations have been expanded and enhanced upon.
i. Radio Comms are SIGNIFICANTLY improved with numerous Real World Soundbites.
ii. Each PART has a life expectancy.

c. Cinematic crashes and incidents have been enhanced.
d. The UI has been modified, and in some areas enriched.
e. Pit-stops and crew are now critical to your race and not an afterthought.
f. And there are TWO NEW Gameplay style features available; which are actually quite fun.

2. HOWEVER
a. Most if not all of these upgrades and improvements could, or should have been applied to F1 manager 2022.
b. The game is still miles away from the level of depth we enjoyed in Motorsport Manager.
c. UI issues still exist; leading to unnecessary click fests and many repetitive actions.
d. The game is NOT bug free yet.
e. There are many Potential Improvements they have not tapped into:
i. Which leaves scope for improvement?
f. Yearly Releases with improvements get expensive fast + Additional DLC costs each year.

1. The two new key gameplay features are Replay 23 and Exclusive Scenarios.

2. Replay 23 releases a new challenge with each IRL GP Round throughout the F1 2023 Season.
a. They challenge you to improve upon the Real Team results during the F1 23 season.
b. Actually it is a fun and welcome distraction from the harsh career environment.

3. Some Exclusive Scenarios are hidden behind a paywall, so you will have to pay extra to get them.
a. £12 is too much for these 12 Scenarios.

4. Sporting Director + Pit Crew training, experience and Energy levels (with DHL Pitstop Competition : I Kind of Like)
a. This totally adds a new dimension to the game…I am still testing this out
b. Raceday PitStops now win/lose you places.

5. We have a NEW Helmet Camera which looks great
a. Turns a little too far to the left and the right on most corners IMHO – Ignoring the car inside/outside

6. TACTICS for each driver and Confidence Level (Confidence Seems a little basic ATM)
a. Good improvement, but not really well implemented (lacks depth) & we cannot use it until after the race start.

1. The Raceday experience has been improved a lot:
a. Radio comms, crash animation UNEXPECTED EVENTS (Explosive tyre blow-outs & punctures)
b. ERS has a bunch of new control elements, which I think improve the experience
c. UI tweaks bring tyre temps into a better location and really improve their relevance
i. Tyre degradation and management is vastly more realistic
ii. Pit stops are now RELEVANT and will win or lose you places in every race!

d. AI Driving, overtaking etc.. seems a little better, but not perfect.
i. Still jittery, illogical and frustrating most of the time.

e. The NEW Tactics tab adds a small amount of depth, but much more could be done.
i. PLUS we cannot Set or change this until AFTER the race has started?

2. PARTS now have a life expectancy (don’t know why but low life expectancy boosts Acceleration???)
a. A cool new feature….but with issues.

3. Apparently (haven’t tried this yet) NEW Contracts can take effect at the end/beginning of a season
a. Instead of IMMEDIATELY – that is more realistic.

4. F2 + F3 Seasons are now simulated in the background (drivers improving etc..)
a. Sadly we cannot race them.

1. Although parts degrade you CANNOT REPLACE THEM!!!
a. Rear wing 50% condition…OK, swap it for a fresh one?
i. You cannot the option is greyed out. You can ONLY swap for a Different one?????? WTAF!!???

2. Although the UI has seen an overhaul, a few tweaks and some new options
a. There are still way too many unnecessary clicks
b. Huge amounts of unnecessary repetition because of the POOR UI.
i. Why can’t I set my default P1, P2, P3 setup and have them auto load for each driver?

3. Pre-Race Setup Mini-Game has been simplified and made even EASIER.
a. Just feels like a pointless exercise now.
b. I want MORE Simulation and depth, not less.

4. My 2nd Driver DESTROYED 4 Cars in the 1st race of the season!
a. No injury to him, but could not continue P1,2,3 or the race.
i. I saw the penalty, but not the incident (didn’t show up)

b. Lack of info meant I could not repair the car to be used again
i. but I `could` have kept him lapping in a broken car slowly and gained experience points.
c. WORSE STILL he out performed my #1 driver with broken parts in Qualifying.

5. I was in a fantastic point scoring position when Russell wiped out and caused a Red Flag.
a. We all parked in the PITS for 20mins.
b. On restart I had an EXTRA 8Litres of fuel on board!!
i. So I could push the engine harder, but Weighed LOADS MORE than the AI and as such were Much slower.
1. POINTS LOST.

1. We still cannot create our OWN TEAM.

2. We still cannot race from F3 upwards.

3. No auto-Switch Camera option.

4. More immersive character details (illness, injury, happiness etc…)
a. Would like unhappy drivers to quit and join a rival.
b. Or injury after a crash to hinder performance.

5. Ability to arrange more complex pit stops.
a. Pit in 3, 5, 10 laps OR If Hamilton pits, you pit etc…

6. SIMULATION MODE – Emergency builds that allow you to have a part made instantly is NOT REALISTIC.

7. Pre & Post-Race interviews (just thought of this…could be fun)

8. Multiplayer.

9. Very limited options and controls, especially around how and when to react to radio transmissions.
a. Would like to AUTO Show replay of incidents (especially with my own cars)

10. KEYBIND Options.
a. We could have pre-set options saved and implemented with a single button press (or voice activated)
i. Pre-Setup options:
1. VSC configuration + Safety car Configuration
2. Fastest lap config (max everything for 1 full lap).
3. Protect your teammate.
4. Catch the car in front (push hard for 1-3 laps until in DRS range)

11. Ability to expand the information to additional screens (like in the Real F1 because there is so much data)

12. Realistic data fed information (Right now it seems basic and often generic instead of specific to each car/driver)
a. Talking Delta and Tyre Degradation

Incredibly frustrating to realize that the game is constantly cheating the results. I played more than 40 hours with McLaren and it was fascinating to finish 11th 6 times in a row. I started paying very close attention to the actual lap times and the amount of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rubberbanding the game will do is incredible. In race after race, the Williams would lap faster than the Ferraris and Red Bulls just to keep you exactly in the same gap from them. They can get up top lapping one second faster than Verstappen in worse tyres, but hey, that is what it takes to keep you from getting one point. I tried the same race 4 times in a row with different strategies and can now see the pattern so clearly that I cannot play anymore. Last time I was on my way to P10 and 3 laps before the end, the pilot crashes, alone with no pressure and in an easy peasy straight. I did nto get to feel like this in the previous game, it was definitely easier. On the ohter hand this game has the difficulty in the wrong places. Your decisions and strategy seem important but in reality they aren´t. YOu make no differnce whatsoever. The McLaren car is beyond ♥♥♥♥, Piastri is beyond useless and no matter how much money you make, the desing and manufcaturing keep bteaking down. So aprat from the races being more or less predetermined, the team management aspect is pretty ♥♥♥♥ as well. Very sad to see this so Uninstalled and back to Hoi4 where I can play anarchist world conquest in a much more believable fashion.