We’ve finally got a good look at F1 Manager 2022, Frontier Developments' first foray into motorsport management and it looks like it’s embracing the granularity of the track.
For fans of Formula 1’s technical side, Frontier Developments has made a game aimed to delight. It looks as though there will be no end to the data you can explore to discover an edge in each race. The trailer shown at the PC Gaming Show uses examples such as grip analysis reports of upcoming circuits, which you can then use to set the tire stints for your drivers, crafting a schedule that will keep them out on the track for as long as possible before making a pit stop.
Take a look for yourself:
Of course, one of the joys of F1 is the way the sport shows how the best-laid plans will rarely survive impact with race day. Unpredictable weather can change a track’s surface necessitating tire changes, and then there are mid-race collisions that force cars off the road. All of this is on show in F1 Manager 2022, where you will need to make on the fly calls to keep your drivers on the track and racing at peak performance.
According to the dev diary, you can give your drivers mid-race instructions, such as telling them to go easy on their tires, manage their battery usage, or go on the attack. But you can also give more contentious orders, such as telling a driver to hold back from competing with a teammate, an instruction that will surely have blowback off the track for team morale.
Outside of races, you’ll be in control of all aspects of your team. You’ll be hiring staff to work in your research and engineering teams, developing new parts for your cars; you’ll be scouting the lower leagues, looking to pick up talented drivers to take your team to victory; and all the while you’ll need to keep on top of your team’s finances.
Considering the attention to detail in Planet Coaster, it’s no surprise that Frontier has captured such an accurate view of the motorsport in F1 Manager 2022, but it’s reassuring nonetheless to actually see it in action.
We won’t have too long to wait to get out hands on the game either, with early access for F1 Manager 2022 kicking off on August 25.
