For the third year in a row, Frontier Developments gives us the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of the world’s fastest motorsport. Not as a driver, no, but in the much more complex role of team manager, where you are forced to learn to swim among the other sharks. It’s a world where everyone eats everyone else, where only the toughest survive, and where political intrigue, machinations and theft are the order of the day.
How many times have you sat there, tearing your hair out, not understanding the seemingly obvious decisions that need to be made? Whether it’s underperforming drivers crashing and costing the team dearly, or key personnel defecting to the competition, F1 Manager 2024 gives you the tools to handle these situations in the best possible way.
Absolute control is the name of the game as we dive into the third game in Frontier Developments’ eminent F1 Manager series, a management simulator that has gone from strength to strength since its debut over two years ago. Although it had a hesitant and criticised start, the team has since proved its worth and this year’s edition is the best yet.
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Unsurprisingly, F1 Manager 2024 isn’t about reinventing the wheel. Refinement and improvement is the name of the game and I personally would have expected nothing less from just one year of development. However, I’m incredibly excited that we’re finally getting the chance to create our own team to conquer the world of Formula 1.
It’s a very welcome addition and I’m surprised it wasn’t included from the start, but Frontier Developments had their reasons. Names, car colors, logos, overalls, etc. can be customized to your liking and of course I dressed my Guenther Steiner Racing™ team in the most spectacular, ugly suits I possibly could.
Settings also give you complete control over the actual experience of your new racing team, with clear sliding menus that determine whether your drivers are complete newbies or seasoned veterans, how well developed your car is initially, and the skill level of your staff at your factory where development takes place.
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It’s worth mentioning that while it’s now possible to design your own logos and liveries, these tools are relatively basic, especially compared to similar systems in other racing games. But since we finally have the ability to influence this, I’m not going to complain too much and hope that these tools get even better next year.
Finally, there is the thrill of building your own bespoke organisation, choosing your engine supplier, sponsors, technical staff and drivers – a significant (and very welcome) improvement over the previous game in the series, which also brings us straight to the next big, long-awaited change that F1 Manager 2024 is preparing.
Namely, the ability to run your own driver academy, giving you opportunities beyond those available in F1 Manager 2022 and 2023. Now you can sign young, promising drivers to join your own team without affecting your career in F2 or F3. Instead, they will be allowed to continue competing and hone their skills.
What’s also particularly nice here is how well Frontier Developments have embraced real-world models and drivers, such as Oliver Bearman in F1 Manager 2024 and linked to Ferrari, as well as Liam Lawson, who has his contract with Red Bull. This doesn’t make it impossible to convince them to come to your side, but it does make it even more authentic.
Another exciting new aspect of F1 Manager 2024 is the so-called “The Mindset System”which reflects not only the well-being of your drivers, but also the whole team. Keeping it under control is as important as most of your other tasks as a manager, and reflects everything from the performance of the drivers during races to the progress of car development.
It’s a constant balance where your decisions often have unforeseen consequences, with grumpy pilots and unmotivated staff. It’s an extra layer of drama that adds nuance to the experience and I found it frighteningly easy to get blindsided by some people’s decisions, which also led to Guenther Steiner Racing™ more or less imploding under your control.
But the innovations and improvements don’t stop there, because just like last year, Frontier have really listened to their customers and worked hard on points that were previously criticized. This brings me straight to the game’s AI, an aspect of F1 Manager that has been mediocre to say the least, and which I’m pleased to report feels significantly sharper and less chaotic in its decision-making this time around. The computer is now more ruthless and won’t hesitate for a second to go after your most promising talent if you don’t satisfy its interests. However, you can quickly lose your best technicians if you don’t have good visibility and control of the helicopter. I discovered this the hard way at Guenther Steiner Racing™, where my underpaid stars quickly found new, much more lucrative contracts.
There’s simply a lot to learn and my time with F1 Manager 2024 has shown me that the game offers a more immersive, more nuanced and no less challenging experience than ever before. It’s a huge and positive step forward for Frontier, who are demonstrating with this year’s edition not only their openness to fans but also their seemingly genuine interest and passion for the sport.
F1 Manager 2024 is fun to play, the hours pass at a frankly terrifying pace and I can’t help but tip my hat to what is yet the most comprehensive, competent and engaging F1 Manager experience you can get… without being employed as the manager of a real F1 team, of course. If you have the slightest interest in F1 and enjoy playing with the details, give this game a chance.
