F1 Manager 2023 review - should you buy the new game?

Ahead of the official release later this week, Crash.net got the lucky opportunity to try out F1 Manager 2023 - the full game.

Having veered away from the first game in 2022 - mainly due to preferences in other titles and time restrictions - it was interesting to experience an F1 manager game for the first time.

• Hands-on with F1 Manager 2023: Throwing away a Lewis Hamilton win at Silverstone

Prior to testing the full game ahead of release, we had an opportunity to play the preview build for two-hours, trialling the all-new ‘race moments’ mode as well as the conventional career.

This time, it was the final version of the game ahead of release...

What’s new?

The big focus from Frontier with this year’s title is the moments mode which gives players the opportunity to re-write the F1 2023 season.

Without giving too much away to what is available to choose, there’s a ‘moment’ from each real-life grand prix, so in Bahrain, you’d take control of Williams with Alex Albon finding himself in 10th with 14 laps to go.

The goal is to secure vital points for the Grove outfit in the final part of the race.

While the mode is effectively a traditional scenario-style one which has been done to death by many game developers, it gives new players to the franchise an opportunity to get immediately involved with the game, rather than being overawed by the potentially complex elements in career mode that crop up as a result of running an F1 team.

The main criticism of the moments mode is perhaps they lack any replayability.

After trying out the Alonso-Monaco scenario in the preview build - which I failed to win due to pitting a lap too late - I wanted to make amends.

This time, I decided to pit straight away for intermediates, while Max Verstappen stayed out. 

It ultimately proved to be the correct decision as Alonso claimed win number 33 of his F1 career.

This little experiment proved perhaps the lack of variability involved, however, the combination of Monaco and wet weather should mean not every scenario comes down to one pit stop.

Finally it’s important to note that these unique scenario challengers will only be available in the more-expensive ‘deluxe edition’.

Another big addition for this year’s game is visor cam. 

No doubt, the developers have done a fine job in making the game authentic and impressive to look, with the addition of visor cam it adds another dimension and immersion for the player.

Other notable additions include sprint races, driver development focuses, greater focus on F2 and F3, as well as the cost cap.

Don’t spend too much on catering! 

Frontier have also reworked a number of key features during the race such as the impact of driver confidence.

During my first career mode race, Zhou Guanyu’s confidence dropped as he was overtaken by Nyck de Vries on the opening lap - can you blame him? 

So ensuring your driver’s morale remains high will no doubt be important.

Similarly, driver tactics, impact of tyre temperatures and racing line variation are a clear step forward for the title, although much more game time is needed to understand the true impact of them.

Overall, our initial impressions of F1 Manager 2023 are very positive.

Relative to its predecessor, the races seem to be more dynamic in terms of field spread and being able to break out of DRS range meaning there’s less trains, plus tyre wear, managing your driver and pit stops are the most important factor. 

Naturally, through the game cycle, other issues or limitations will crop up, however, if you’re fans of F1 Manager 2022 and want an improved, up-to-date version, then F1 Manager 2023 is a must-purchase.

Hopefully with next year’s title, Frontier will start to incorporate multiplayer as social gaming is a key to any game not being repetitive and ensuring it remains a go-to during the off-season.

F1 Manager 2023 Driver Ratings

F1 Manager 2023’s official driver ratings have also been released, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen receiving the top grade.

Ratings are always debatable but inevitably some are more questionable than others, like Sergio Perez being ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell.

In full:

Max Verstappen - 91

Lewis Hamilton - 90

Fernando Alonso - 90

Charles Leclerc - 89

Sergio Perez - 88

Carlos Sainz - 87

Lando Norris - 87

George Russell - 87

Valtteri Bottas - 86

Pierre Gasly - 86

Esteban Ocon - 84

Lance Stroll - 83

Alex Albon - 81

Kevin Magnussen - 81

Zhou Guanyu - 80

Nico Hulkenberg - 79

Yuki Tsunoda - 79

Nyck de Vries - 76

Oscar Piastri - 76

Logan Sargeant - 73

F1 Manager 2023 releases officially for PlayStation, XBOX and PC on July 31 at 4pm BST. The deluxe edition will be available from July 27 at 4pm BST.