Anyone who’s ever seen a Formula One race around a track will want to ride one – and F1 2021 gives modern fans that same thrill. Thanks to this racing title, Formula One fans can finally experience the sheer speed in races that no other game could emulate. Racing fans will appreciate F1 2021 for its realistic take on Formula One races – but this game is no typical racer.
And those who seek to dominate the competition in Formula One races would have to stop thinking like a typical racing player and instead elevate their mindsets. Those new to F1 2021 might feel a bit out of place when getting into their first few races. But just like with any other racing game, getting to feel the “groove” with a few tips can upgrade their racing game and have them dashing to the finish line.
Updated on December 31, 2021, by Rhenn Taguiam: F1 2021 serves as the best answer for anyone who wants to experience being in an actual F1 Season. And unlike other F1 titles that let players stay behind the wheel as drivers, F1 2021 finally gives players the chance to participate both as a racer and even the manager of their own team.
Not to mention, F1 2021 has an actual story mode in the form of Braking Point, making it the third game in the EA Sports belt to actually have a story mode. However, for players who want to take their F1 game to the next level, they might want to start following more pro tips such as freely adjusting difficulty levels, being careful how they drive, and slowly adjusting their approach to player assists.
14 No Shame In Adjusting Difficulty
It might be surprising to some players to see this game has settings for adjusting the difficulty. However, one can blame the “git gud” mentality for players mentally shaming themselves by adjusting a game’s difficulty on the fly. For a game as technical as F1 2021, adjusting difficulty can greatly help the learning experience.
In F1 2021, the difficulty slider is found inside the Simulation Settings, where it could be adjusted from 1 (Easy) to as high a 110-percent (Legend). The best way to test these difficulty setups is within a quick Grand Prix mode, and players can find the “sweet spot” they want to train with. They can increase the difficulty once they feel more confident, making their F1 experience more enjoyable without being too easy or too difficult.
13 Stay Wary Of The Track
Given how F1 2021 really amps realism to 100, it helps to be more careful with how players race in any kind of track. For instance, unlike other F1 titles, hitting the curb this time around will simulate the feeling of hitting a bump, forcing the vehicle to lose traction - which could easily lead to accidents. While it’s possible to recover from a wheel spin because of the curb, it’s not always a pleasant experience.
The physics also affects the way the cars interact with the tracks. Wrong timings with the braking point can force the car to fall back much further than anticipated. Moreover, slight mishaps in collisions could lead to tire punctures and severe understeering.
12 Be Careful With Beginner Assists
As with difficulty settings, F1 2021 also lets newcomers toggle beginner assists in the game. This takes the form of Steering and Braking Assists, Anti-Lock Brakes, Traction Control, Dynamic Racing Lines, and even Gearbox. However, as effective as these controls are, they might set bad habits for players instead of developing their overall skills for more difficult play modes.
For beginners, Automatic Gears, ABS, and Traction Control can greatly help them get more acquainted with the more technical F1 experience. However, it’s not advisable for newcomers to even use Steering Assist and Braking Assists, as they can make newcomers more dependent on the game’s AI than usual. At its core, it’s best to turn off assists in this order as players get more experience:
- Steering and Braking Assist
- ERS and Fuel Assists
- Manual Gears
- TC Medium
- Pit Assists
11 Turn Steering To Your Advantage
Steering can be one of the trickiest aspects of any driving game to learn, and failing steering is much more punishing in F1 2021. Despite the sheer irritation of the game’s steering mechanics, it’s actually one of the best first lessons for newbies to get. At its core, mastering steering means securing almost half of all difficult aspects of any track. For more optimized Steering, here are some recommended settings:
- Deadzones: These are calibrations specifically reserved for Steering, Throttle, and Brakes. During these calibrations, flick or press the necessary buttons. After testing, the initial setting must return to 0. If not, points must be added in order for a flick or click to return to 0. This ensures button presses and pad clicks are as accurate as possible.
- Steering Saturation: For these settings, flick the pad stick to see what happens to the setting. The Steering Saturation must reach 100. Adjust points until this is met.
- Linearity: It’s recommended to get this to 50 throughout Steering, Throttle, and Brakes, as these provide better control and feel of the machine during a match.
- Vibration and Force Feedback: Check what maximum wheel rotation settings exist. While this is reserved for wheel users, a setting of 270 is great training for players to get more used to hard control setups for their cars.
10 No Shame In Formula Two
Newcomers who try getting to a prix as soon as they open F1 2021 are in for a rough time. After all, control becomes the name of the game when all Formula One cars are much faster than the flashiest commercial cars today. And while a player’s first few F1 2021 games can become overwhelming, this doesn’t mean they should drop the game.
Players who want to ease their way into the core Formula One experience can try their hand in F1 2021’s Formula Two grid. Like in real life, F2 cars lack the complicated gizmos of their F1 counterparts, but they are still speed devils in their own right. Players who want to train in handling raw speed first could get into F2 before getting into the core F1 2021 modes.
9 Time Trial Is Everyone’s Best Friend
Newcomers and series fans would want to head into F1 2021 and its Time Trial mode before proceeding anywhere else. Firstly, newcomers can use Time Trial to get a “glimpse” of how racing works for Formula One. With a high-powered car in their hands, newcomers need to balance acceleration, cornering, and braking properly. That way, they can get into other parts of match management - fuel, tyres, and the like - without worrying about their handling.
Secondly, Time Trial easily becomes a great way for series vets to get familiar with new changes to the beloved franchise. While F1 2021 largely carries over most gameplay elements, the improved graphics and changes to vehicle control can still surprise the most dedicated franchise savants.
8 Get Practical With Assists
With F1 2021 trying to replicate the real Formula One experience as accurately as possible, players are bound to manage a ton of things. And with a high-speed race on top of all these setups, it’s easy for players to feel overwhelmed. Both newcomers and series vets would have a much better time with the game if they activate most of the game’s assists efficiently.
For instance, players can activate Steering Assist, Braking Assist, and Anti-Lock Brakes to allow the AI to help them pull off tighter corners. Likewise, Dynamic Racing Line gives players a visual line to follow whenever racing. Lastly, Traction Control on High helps prevent wheelspins from happening. Players can slowly turn these settings off as they get more confident with their game.
7 ERS Assist Makes Management Bearable
Players of F1 2021 who watch actual races would know that Formula One isn’t always about speed. Rather, it’s about managing things as complicated as pit stop entries and lap times, and even simple things such as fuel and tyres. In F1 2021, even battery usage requires players to manually press another button throughout laps to maximize energy usage.
Thankfully, players can avoid this frustration with ERS (Energy Recovery System) Assist turned on. With this activated, the game itself will manage the car’s battery throughout the laps. This leaves players with room to manage other aspects of the race, such as steering and cornering, and even pit stop coordination.
6 Flashbacks Make The Game More Bearable
Flashbacks make a comeback in F1 2021, much to the chagrin of some hardcore fans. With Flashbacks, players can “reverse” the flow of time and correct mistakes they’ve made throughout the match. In some games, Flashbacks can serve as a neat story mechanic. However, players who hesitate to use Flashbacks should feel more inclined to use it for its practical benefits.
Aside from preserving time, Flashbacks prevent players from starting quite a long race. If players suffer a match-breaking crash midway, repeating yet another 50 laps to get to the same point can make the game less encouraging.
5 Feel Free To Experiment With Setups
Advanced players who want to get the most out of their F1 2021 experience can get more creative with their setups across different locations. For example, Japan-based tracks might need cars that can access more downforce given the many twists and tight corners in their tracks.
With these in mind, players can always use guesswork and even practice mode to find the best setup for their cars. However, those who want a more authentic Formula One experience can also check the leaderboards to try and study the setups that other players are using.
4 Choose A Career Mode Effectively
Newcomers to F1 2021 might feel excited to get into Career Mode as soon as they enter the game. However, players need to pick their Career Mode choice carefully in order to maximize their experience. For instance, the more straightforward Career Mode simply puts players behind the seat of a Formula One car, which is the best way to get into the game’s mechanics.
However, players who want a more management-heavy experience might appreciate the My Team option. This allows the players to manage a team and be able to race at the same time. At My Team, players can design a logo, manage R&D, and even find sponsorships for the team. Given the more demanding management focus, players with a knack for strategy will feel right at home in this mode.
3 Consider Pit Assist For Quick Exits
Anyone who’s played a few laps of F1 2021 matches would know that the usual way to enter a pit stop is through driving on the speed limit with the pit limiter activated. Do this too fast, and a player can get penalized or, worse, disqualified from the race. Slowing down just for a stop can be detrimental to crucial races, especially with how this can vastly increase lap times.
Funnily enough, Pit Assist paves way for a funny trick that players can exploit for more seamless pit assists. Essentially, Pit Assist automatically lowers the car’s speed to the limit when entering pit stops. However, the game does this regardless of the car’s original speed. In turn, a player can just zoom in for the pit stop at max speed, see the game reduce this speed much faster than a gear change, and get no penalties at all!
2 Grab Those Gears
Newcomers to F1 2021 who are avid racing fans most likely have a steering wheel and some pads to play their favorite games. Aside from being able to play F1 2021 with exactly this gear, the game also has settings to actually improve this experience.
Players with flappy paddles can keep their Gearbox setting to Manual, giving them as close to an authentic Formula One experience as possible. Likewise, they can slowly turn off Traction Control as they get better in the game to get a more realistic steering experience.
1 Remember Driving Essentials
Newcomers couldn’t be any more wrong if they say F1 2021 is just a game of speed. In fact, speed is just a basic element in an entire race. Rather, players need to manage a whole swath of elements while they’re on the track - their lap time, their tyre and fuel status, and even the way they precisely navigate twists and turns.
As such, players should always keep in mind their driving basics when in an F1 2021 match. Perhaps the best tip in this regard is exerting as little effort to the car as possible to avoid wearing out tyres and spending fuel unnecessarily. When turning, players should try moving their tyres as minimally as possible to avoid straining them. Moreover, players should try to be careful how much fuel they have going into a match as this can affect their weight, lap time, and speed.
F1 2021 was released in July 2021 and is available on the PC, PS4 and PS5, Xbox One, and Series X/S.