F1 Manager 2024 review: A management simulator for the enthusiasts

F1 Manager 2024 is a game that provides a detailed glimpse into the tough and intricate world of Formula 1 management. As a game that can be considered a sports management simulation, F1 Manager 24 offers a level of depth and immersion not usually seen in this category. It is a title that would undoubtedly appeal to the hardcore F1 fans.

As someone with a limited Formula 1 background, this game was difficult for me to review. Sure I knew the popular names and have watched some highlights here and there, but that's where it ended for me. Nevertheless, I delved into the world of Formula 1 and did considerable research to come up with a respectable review of the game.

F1 Manager 2024 revolves around two words for me - strategy and management. A whole lot of management, rather. This is also one of the problems I had with the game, and I will discuss it more as we ease into the contents of this review.

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F1 Manager 2024: There's nothing some good management can't solve

There are a lot of good things going on in F1 Manager 2024. The simulation, for one thing, is extremely intricate. Unlike most other cases, I had to read every bit of instruction that the screen threw at me, to understand how everything worked in the game.

In the end, while I wasn't disappointed, the game felt exhausting. I was tired from racking my brains and making sure my team of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen didn't fall off too far. But hey, at least they represented my own team!

Building your own Formula 1 Team

Creating a team HQ in F1 Manager 2024 (Image via Frontier Developments)

Here's the fun part and the most significant addition to this year's version - F1 Manager 2024 lets you create your own F1 team from scratch. You get to choose your name, logo, livery, drivers, staff members, and everything else. It's like you are the Formula 1 God with every person, team, and asset in front of you, ready to be handpicked.

And then, from the seemingly infinite sea of options, you get to choose anything and everything you like and start building your personal Formula 1 legend. This feature alone is a game-changer, as it provides an unparalleled level of customization and immersion within a personal domain. If you are anything like me, prepare to spend an unhealthy amount of time simply customizing your livery, team colors, logo, racing suits, and pretty much everything else.

Deciding the livery for your team (Image via Frontier Developments)

While playing, it almost felt like raising my child and watching it grow to become a bashful teenager, then to an adult, and finally a legend with old age.

The Manager's Paradise

Managing sponsor plans (Image via Frontier Developments)

F1 Manager 2024 is a game of meticulous planning and execution, albeit with a healthy bit of uncertainty. As a budding Manager, you are tasked with managing every aspect of the team. These include car development, pit strategy, research and training, the budget, media appearances, and even sponsor relations. You become a real in-game Manager in every sense of the word.

The level of detail in F1 Manager 2024 very accurately replicates the actual complexities of real-world F1 management. Frontier Developments has made good use of its exclusive contract with Formula One to deliver a game that is as close to the real thing as possible.

Trouble in Paradise

Do you begin to see why I said it felt tiring? Not yet? Let's dive deeper. While rewarding, this hands-on approach can also be overwhelming at times. Let's get one thing clear - you can easily simulate a lot of the responsibilities but they yield drastically different outcomes.

Manual and simulated controls in F1 Manager 2024 (Image via Frontier Developments)

There's a fine line between engaging micromanagement and tedious work, and F1 Manager 2024 occasionally leans toward the latter. Manually controlling a race has almost always generated far better results for me, and at times, the sheer number of decisions I needed to make riled me up. And there was a time constraint on top of it all.

This is also the part where proper F1 knowledge is actually needed. Yes, the game does show recommendations, but if you know about the various things like tire compounds, car tuning, ERS strategies, and other complex jargon, it would be considerably easier for you. These are things that you can control, and then there are uncontrollable elements like the Mentality system and Mechanical Failures.

Your crew needs to have a good Mentality

Back when I played Fifa 14, management was so much easier with only looking at player contracts and making sure they get enough bench time to keep their morale up. In contrast, the Mentality system in F1 Manager 2024 is extremely dynamic and greatly affects the performance of your crew members and drivers. It adds a new layer of complexity to driver management, forcing players to consider the crew's performance as well as their mental state.

Mentality Hub in the game (Image via Frontier Developments)

While this is logical and will probably be a welcome feature to most, I did not particularly feel like adding yet another tab to my sheet of "things I need to manage". But then again, I am the Manager of my team. I had to keep track of every individual in my crew, from drivers and technical staff to pretty much every employee in my team. And then, I had to find a way to ensure everyone was satisfied enough - admittedly not the easiest of tasks handed down to me.

Some more micro-management

Helican view (Image via Frontier Developments)

Far from being done, we will now have to divert our attention to prospective drivers from Formula 2 and Formula 3 circuits waiting for that golden opportunity to join Formula 1. As Managers in the game, players will not only have to cater to their main drivers and crew but also make sure the lower league drivers are happy and making progress.

The realistic game begins with Mechanical Failures

Only after you have appeased everyone can you start winning races in F1 Manager 2024. Frontier has paid considerable attention to detail to make the races extremely realistic. However, I would consider it too realistic with the inclusion of Mechanical Failures - an element of surprise that will make your blood boil.

Mechanical failures in the game (Image via Frontier Developments)

You can have the best-researched parts, drivers in top mental state, and the perfect conditions, and it may still all be for naught with the possibility of Mechanical Failures! These sudden occurrences will require you to either pit and have your engineers take a look, or you can choose to stay on the track with the risk of having to retire in case of dire circumstances. It just adds a dramatic touch to an otherwise perfect planning - something I both liked and disliked.

F1 Manager 2024 performance: Audio and visuals

Hardware reliance

F1 Manager 2024 is incredibly demanding, and can sometimes even push high-end systems to their limits. Having played it on a 13-generation i5 with 3060Ti and 16 gigs of RAM, it did stutter in a few places for me. Sometimes when the safety car comes out, there is a strong case of stutter and lag which is very prominent, although it doesn't last long.

F1 Manager 2024 has beautiful graphics (Image via Frontier Developments)

The game has top-notch visuals and watching the races is a spectacle. However, players with older hardware might have some significant performance issues with frame drops and stuttering.

Moreover, the game is not without its share of bugs and glitches. Although they do not necessarily break the game, they can be quite frustrating to deal with. In particular, one bug I found was when tutorial messages would often reappear even after I closed them.

The sound of speed

I might not be a Formula 1 fanatic but the sound of F1 engines is music to my ears. Thankfully, F1 Manager 2024 has absolutely nailed this aspect of the game. The audio design is exceptional, with the roar of the engines, the tense atmosphere of the races, and the light crackle in radio sounds all adding to the gaming experience.

In some cases, however, radio commands were incorrect, but that is a shortcoming I am willing to ignore in the face of the otherwise stellar sound mechanics.

In conclusion

F1 Manager 2024 is a great game for enthusiasts of this sport (Image via Frontier Developments)

For someone who has not played the previous iterations of the game, F1 Manager 2024 is a solid entry into the series with its deep and extremely engaging experience for fans of the sport. The ability to create your own Formula 1 team is perhaps the best feature that anyone could have asked for.

The only major downsides are the excessive micro-management and some performance issues, which I feel hold the game back a little. Despite these flaws, F1 Manager 2024 is a game that kept me, someone who is not a fan of the sport, entertained for quite a few hours. If you are an ardent Formula 1 fan and want to experience the hundreds of tasks that a manager of a racing team has to undertake, then this is definitely the right choice for you.