Frontier has revealed the ratings system for drivers and key staff for their upcoming F1 management sim F1 Manager 2022. The game will be coming out, immersing fans in the day-to-day running of F1 teams, on 30th August across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC via both Steam and the Epic Games Store. If you buy a fancy pants edition, you can start playing on 25th August, though.
Just as we’ve seen with Codemasters’ F1 series, Frontier has delved into the statistical analysis of all the real world drivers to come up with driver ratings based off a series of key attributes, but they’ve gone beyond that for F1 Manager 2022 by also looking at and appraising a number of key staff on the teams.
Driver ratings are derived from nine performance ratings, grouped together into three attributes. Pace is based off a driver’s raw speed through Cornering, braking and Reactions, Consistency is then based on Accuracy, Control and Smoothness, while Racecraft is about Adaptability, Overtaking and Defending. There’s also an Aggression value that determines how hard they’re going to go for an overtake, even if it’s likely to end in a crash, and Growth Potential which shows how much a driver can still develop.
The full breakdown of how every driver in the game stacks up – across F1, F2, F3 and the various backup and reserve drivers – will be revealed closer to launch. Here’s a glimpse, though:
Alongside the drivers, there’s also the key staff who lead the team’s general personnel in developing the car and running trackside operations. Each staff member also has their own starting performance rating, something that is unique to their given role.
These are just the starting points, though, and you will have a key role in determining how they develop through their careers. You can allocate development points to each performance rating as they gain experience, but that experience will accrue at different rates.
Best known for their excellent management sims Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster – as well as the vast space sim Elite Dangerous – F1 Manager 2022 will be the first entry in a yearly sports management sim from Frontier Developments.
As shown in the gameplay demo, this first entry aims to set out a solid foundation for the franchise to build on. You’ll be leading a team as a team principle, leading drivers, engineers and building up your team to tilt at winning world championships. You’ll have control of every aspect of running a team, from upgrading cars and race facilities, to hiring drivers and engineers, balancing the books, and then looking to make critical decisions at exactly the right moments during a race weekend. There’s some nice graphics on show here through the trailer, not all that far off where the Codemasters racing series was on previous generations. Looking good for a management sim!
Source: press release
