F1 Manager 2023 Details Emerge – Is It Enough?

This information was first press embargoed until May 17, 2023 but the announcement was held until today due to events in Imola.

Frontier today gave us the first information on their upcoming 2023 F1 Management simulation, detailing the additional features coming to the franchise. You can see the official press screenshots, trailer and press release below. To make things easier I have listed the stand-out items:

– Available to wishlist now on Steam.
– Releases “summer” for PC (Steam/Epic), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
– No mention of creating own team
– New ‘Replay mode’ allows 2023 real-world races to apparently be played in the game.
– New driver confidence stat will underpin the gameplay, whether the driver can make the overtake or responds well to commands.
– New sporting director role.
– New pit stop crew development options that will have greater effect on stop times.
– New weight limit considerations coming into play, will combine with performance, reliability and cost cap in car development gameplay loops.
– “Fully simulated F2 and F3 championships” – but only mentioned in the context of driver hiring and development.
– Sprint races.
– Driver signings can be made in-advance.

From the screenshots (below) we can take a look at the familiar UI, showing driver confidence bars but also a thumb up and thumb down beside each driver photo. The graphics also look a lot more sharp, less of the negative post processing that detracted from the overall image quality in the last title.

How do I feel about this? Well, I loved F1 Manager 2022… It was a terrific first entry into the franchise and you should read my review. However, with that said, I am not really that impressed by things like Sprint racing being a headline feature (they were a part of the sport in 2022 and were not simulated) and there are a couple of things I think are vital (if not for this title, certainly for the next one) if my enthusiasm for F1 Manager isn’t to wane:

– Own fictional teams. I don’t necessarily want to take over one of the existing teams. Though this is a low priority addition, I’d like to see it.
– Mid-race/session saves. I want to run a 100% race length season in real-time (that’s the important bit for my immersion) without having the time to necessarily sit through an entire event in one stint.

Trailer:

View this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/896qC-7x9Mg and please consider subscribing to RSC’s channel.

Press release (originally sent for release on May 17, delayed until today):

Build your legacy, define your team and rewrite key moments from the 2023 season in F1® Manager 2023
Take unparalleled control of a Formula 1 ® Team, with deeper management, greater authenticity, and a brand-new game mode.

Cambridge, UK (17 May 2023) – Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) unveiled today F1® Manager 2023, the next instalment in the officially licensed Formula 1® management simulation series, with deeper management systems, more dramatic racing, and an even greater commitment to authenticity. Fans are invited to assume the role of an F1® Team Principal, make their mark and lead their chosen team all the way to the top, driving every decision both on and off the track.

F1® Manager 2023 comes even closer to the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship™ with the brand-new Race Replay mode, which will allow aspiring Team Principals to rewrite key moments from throughout the 23-race season. Additionally, in the returning Career mode, players will enjoy a suite of highly requested feature developments, adding new dimensions to the sporting drama at every turn.

F1® Manager 2023 gives fans the freedom to oversee their chosen F1® team on their own terms. New to 2023 is the role of the Sporting Director, enabling deeper management of the pit crew and their training schedule, and challenging players to balance the risk of costly errors against rapid pitstop times. New weight considerations will also require players to find a balance between car performance and reliability, working within the Cost Cap to give their driver pairing every chance of success. Prospective Team Principals will define the direction of their team by setting the development focus of their current line-up, or by scouting the next generation of talent from the fully simulated F2™ and F3™ Championships, negotiating contracts for the following season to ensure multi-year success.

Races are more dramatic and dynamic than ever before, with shifting racing lines ensuring that drivers will duel for every vital point. A new driver confidence system underpins bold overtaking manoeuvres, with cars going wheel-to-wheel as each world-class driver verbally responds to commands via their race engineers. The fine balance of optimal tyre temperature windows creates unfolding drama as grip levels fluctuate, and split-second decisions will mean the difference between taking pole position or ending up in the barriers. F1® Manager 2023 brings all 23 season-defining races and six F1® Sprint events to life in stunning broadcast quality, with each key moment narrated by the returning Sky Sports commentary pairing of David Croft and Karun Chandhok.

F1® Manager 2023 will launch in summer 2023 digitally on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and will also be available both physically and digitally on PlayStation® 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 4 and Xbox One. The game is available to wishlist on Steam, Epic and the PlayStation Store now.

For more news and information about F1® Manager 2023:
Website: https://www.f1manager.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/F1ManagerGame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/f1manager
Instagram: https://instagram.com/f1manager
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FrontierDevelopments/

About Frontier
Frontier is a leading independent developer and publisher of videos founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier primarily uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label.

About Formula 1®
Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1® and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.
Formula 1® is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock.

The F1 logo, F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.