F1 Manager 2024 is the latest edition of a popular game franchise developed by Frontier. This year, the focus was on the off-track aspects of the game. Several new features and improvements have been implemented to make each career mode more unique and less repetitive.
One of the highlighted additions in this year’s game is the ability to create and manage your own team as the 11th entry on the grid. We had the opportunity to assemble a team and participate in the first race of the season. The user interface and team creation mechanics are inspired by the F1 series of games from EA and Codemasters. The livery design system allows for customization with gradients and greater control over sponsorships.
There are six different starting scenarios for your team, each with its own advantages and limitations. You have control over your team’s finances, car quality, facilities, power unit supplier, and personnel. Choosing real-life staff members affects the reactions of other teams. Hiring real-life drivers for your team can result in changes to the lineup of other teams.
Managing your own team involves securing sponsorship deals, with each sponsor offering different amounts of money and terms. Achieving the engagement goals set by sponsors is crucial for the team’s success. Customization options extend to manually positioning, scaling, rotating, and coloring sponsor logos on the car and race suits.
In addition to team management, F1 Manager 2024 introduces random mechanical failures during races. These failures can range from minor issues affecting power supply to serious problems forcing retirement. AI teams are also subject to these failures, adding an element of unpredictability to the races.
To prevent issues from developing or worsening, you can instruct your drivers to avoid high-risk curbs and race in clean air. The game also features an affiliated driver system, allowing you to create your own driver academy. Affiliated drivers can seek positions in F2 and F3 and be called up for FP1 sessions.
The trading system has been overhauled, offering more back-and-forth with the ability to give opponents time to respond. The mentality system provides insights into drivers’ opinions about your team based on various factors. Termination clauses have been introduced, allowing rival teams to hire drivers and support staff in advance and unexpectedly.
Other new features include a helicopter perspective to view races and the ability to simulate entire races. This latter option is particularly useful for players who want to progress through multiple seasons without overseeing every race.
F1 Manager 2024 will be released on July 23, with standard and deluxe editions available. The deluxe edition includes additional features for the team creation mode and extra “Race Replay” scenarios.
