F1 Manager 2023 Review – Nuts and Bolts

F1 Manager 2023 Review

F1 Manager 2023 is Frontier Developments second iteration of their F1 sim. Last year, F1 Manager 22 allowed you to oversee all on and off-track activities of running an F1 Team. Now, as with all sports games, Frontier Development faced the prospect of improving their previous entry.

The goal for the 2023 edition is to add greater depth to the game. They also aimed to give the player more control over all management aspects. Frontier Development also wanted to give the player more gameplaying options that allow for a more quick and concise gaming session.

For quick game sessions, they offer two modes under the Race Replay options. Both modes are based on real world results. Race Moments is a challenge mode based on specific scenarios that really happened part way through a race.

The second mode is the Starting Grid which encompasses an entire race. It replicates the starting grid and real world weather conditions will be available for you to tackle to see if you can surpass the real world result. You take control of any team from the chosen race.

Greater Gameplay

In both modes, the goal is to improve on the actual results. Both modes have an abundance of real F1 data, which will impact your decisions. The challenge for the player is to make the right calls at the right time based on the data.

Another option for quick play is Sprint Races. There are six sprints, each with its own tactical challenge. The Sunday starting position is determined by the results of your short Saturday sprint. You have to juggle monitoring several tasks. This includes items such as player tactics, ERS deployment, tire temperatures, and your driver’s fluctuating confidence levels.

The meat of the game is the Team Management. You control the Driver and Staff Development, Sporting Director and Pit Management, Car Part Development, and Cost Cap management. There is also the addition of F2 and F3 race-simulated races so you can scout new talent.

On the Drivers Development front, you will control their training in several disciplines such as Driving Standards, Race Pace – short and long run runs, Race Strategy – such as overtaking and defending, Wet Track race craft, and Wheel to Wheel racing. You can focus on one or a couple of disciplines or take a balanced approach.

F1 Manager 2023 More Control

You can also manage your drivers and staff based on their age and experience. A team’s ability to develop can be improved by investing in facilities and upgrading them. You’ll receive monthly emails that recap development and you can use to determine what areas to focus or if it’s time to bring in new blood.

On the racing related front, the Team Radio & Commentary is expanded to add to the immersion. Team radio chatter will include the relaying of driver commands. There is a greater variety of messages to make them more contextually relevant. A new feature will be commentary for specific events like accidents, takeovers, or spins.

F1 Manager 2023 will have not only feature more racing line variations but greater incidents most common on turn 1. So you can expect overtakes, wheel-to-wheel battling, running wide on corners, and rejoining the track circuit to name a few. You will also have a greater array of driver instructions, which increases the tactical depth to the races.

Further to the expanded racing line variations, you will have greater control of on-track driver instructions. Your decisions need to factor in driver confidence against risk versus reward. Management of ERS, pace, and fuel usage are yours to command. There is a new ERS Battle Assist toggle that can save a portion of ERS for use against a competitor within one second of DRS range.

Greater Realism

They also expanded tactical considerations with an improved tire model. In the 23 edition, carcass and surface temperatures are both simulated. So tire temps have a greater impact on race performance. Higher temps will degrade them quicker while low temps result in loss of grip. Beyond how hard you instruct the drivers to push, ambient air temperatures also have an impact.

Also improved is the broadcast presentation of the game. With replays, there is a new camera mode, Visor Cam. This puts you closer to action and, like the other views, you can jump from driver to driver.

There have been substantive changes from F1 2022 to F1 2023. F1 2023 offers more in-depth control, more options, and more gameplay modes. You can reference the F1 2022 Manager review to compare it against this review. The question for players is whether these changes are worth purchasing the new version. A common decision for sports game players.

From my playtime with 2023, the one addition I appreciate the most are the quick play options. They offer interesting challenges bolstered because they are based on real-life situations. The main campaign takes a lot of time to play and is probably too much, except for the die-hards.

More Control = More Responsibility

You will still find it necessary to micro-manage the entire on-track activity. Races can be run in fast forward modes or entirely simulated, but you will not realize optimal results. This is especially true in the early stages of a season.

Frontier Developments has taken fan feedback from F1 2022 to heart. F1 2023 is a more refined version that offers greater flexibility for the player. This is a strong incremental improvement over its predecessor.

F1 Manager 2023 launches on July 31, 2023 in several configurations. The base game is $54.99 US and the deluxe edition is $64.99. The deluxe edition has an exclusive scenarios pack with 12 additional scenario challenges.

*** PS5 code provided by the publisher ***