Anyone who’s ever seen a Formula One car would want to experience riding it in a race – and F1 2021 finally gives fans the closest possible way of this happening. Thanks to this recent title, Formula One fans can finally gear up and ride the car of their dreams in brutally-fast races. But unlike other racing titles, the sheer speed of F1 races can make even the tiniest mistake cost the entire race.
Players racing other gamers for the first time might see themselves get pummeled match after match. And unlike other racing games, players need a bit of adjustment to avoid some unexpected common mistakes while playing F1 2021.
10 Getting Too Confident With Previous Settings
Albeit not a mistake for “everyone” to watch out for, players do need to keep an eye out for the way the game presents options and vehicle setup at large. Series savants would remember Casual Race Style back in F1 2020, which adds a more lenient approach to gameplay. This time around, F1 2021 will add Expert Race Style, giving both vets and newcomers more control to finetune their progression in My Team and Career.
In fact, series lovers should watch out and remember that their car setups back in F1 2020 won’t necessarily work with F1 2021. For instance, changes in the tyre model and the aero model will force players to once again tinker with their preferred setups. Overconfidence can spell doom, given the swath of new options in F1 2021.
9 Hesitating To Tinker With Options
Players getting into F1 2021 for the first time might get too excited to prove their racing supremacy and just hop on a GP Race as soon as possible. And once they get in line, they soon realize that the game isn’t always about speed. In fact, with lap-reliant games like F1 2021, players need equal amounts of speed and strategic management. And players can get the most out of their experience when they tinker with options.
What newcomers don’t realize with F1 2021 is that they often fail their first couple of races because they feel as though playing with options might be “unfair.” Rather, players should start a GP Race to check whether the AI level and assists are working in their favor. If not, players should tinker with their settings to find that sweet spot to carry on across all game modes. Doing this will help players focus more on the actual strategy aspect of the game.
8 Forgetting About Time Trial
If there’s anything amazing about F1 2021, it’s their inclusion of new tracks in the game. Of course, newcomers would probably have to wait for the track to come in their game modes before being able to try them, which adds an element of suspense to their experience. Thing is, players miss out in terms of planning if they just “wait” for a new track to pop in before trying it out for themselves.
To recover from this mishap, players should probably try new tracks in F1 2021 in the Time Trial Mode, with dynamic racing lines enabled. This strategy, combined with the activation of on-track telemetry lines, would allow players to see their best lines and be able to adjust on the fly.
7 Ignoring Focus In My Team
Series newcomers and fans would soon realize that consistency is key in securing the Championship in My Team. After all, efficient sponsorships, a potent supply system for the engines, and a decent chassis can ensure decent progress throughout the entire tourney. However, fans shouldn’t forget one new stat that can ensure the team’s performance throughout the season: Focus.
With high Focus, teammates can work at their maximum potential regardless of their tasks. Thanks to Department Events, a team can secure higher Focus marks, which can then boost the team’s overall efficiency. Teams that already have a decent supplier and a good car should still take note of Department Events to maximize Focus.
6 Forgetting Communications In Online Career
Players of F1 2021 will soon realize that they can have a friend accompany them in the online career mode to simulate the realism of teams in the real world. As such, players can have a teammate race with them to add another human element into the mix. However, players who just have a friend over to race with them aren’t maximizing a key component in this cooperative mode: communications.
Despite the basic nature of co-op communication, F1 2021 uses comms to add a more strategic component to online career races. Remember, the game offers co-op players to slipstream each other to improve their lap time. In addition, it’s always a good idea for players to share what’s happening around them in order to stay on top of other AI teams. This means players should think of co-op online careers in the same way they coordinate in other tactical FPS matches, but this time with racing.
5 Hesitating With Flashbacks
Newcomers and F1 savants would remember the infamous Flashback System that recent F1 titles added in their core gameplay loop. Interestingly enough, anyone who’s played recent racing titles would find a similar feature in them. At its core, Flashbacks in F1 2021 allows players to correct mistakes they’ve made throughout the race. And while it’s admirable to have players push through races without Flashbacks, it can certainly make their experience less palatable.
Instead, players should make full use of Flashbacks whenever necessary. There’s no shame in admitting that F1 races are vastly different compared to other racing games. And considering the strategic element F1 2021 poses to players, gamers should treat Flashbacks as yet another trick up their sleeve.
4 Neglecting Available Online Setups
Despite the rather niche nature of F1 2021, its series does have a very solid fanbase. In fact, fans of earlier games would remember being able to access various Formula One setups from various sites and forums - and this is a strategy newcomers often neglect. Just because effective car setups exist online doesn’t mean a player is already getting it easy. In fact, Formula One drivers in the real world also use each other’s setups as “inspos,” particularly with teammates.
As such, players shouldn’t hesitate going to online boards and engaging with the community to see if they have effective setups they can use. Being familiar with setups from other players can give gamers a new perspective to their overall customization approach. Moreover, competitive players can get an edge with this kind of familiarity, especially when facing other teams.
3 Forgetting About ERS Assist
Aside from activating the common assistive settings in the game, it’s perhaps ERS Assist that players should try to keep on at all times. With this turned off, players need to always take note of efficient battery usage - forcing them to press another button every now and then to guarantee energy savings per lap.
With ERS Assist activated, the AI will now take over energy management throughout the race. Aside from having a button free, the AI will immediately find the best ways to save energy efficiently. This could theoretically maximize a car’s performance throughout a lap.
2 Ignoring Fuel Adjustments
When players start a race, the game gives them a race strategy and even their potential setup. With these in mind, it helps for players to pay close attention to fuel adjustment whenever they begin a match. In this menu, the game will usually give the car a few laps of fuel just in case. However, the added weight can slow down the car, increasing the lap time.
If possible, players can just add a bit of extra fuel. They shouldn’t worry much about having too little, as the game will prompt players in a race if they’re underfilled anyway.
1 Neglecting The Basics Of Formula One
Fans of Formula One would notice one thing that separates it from traditional racing: the element of strategy. After all, an F1 race isn’t just about how fast a car can get. Rather, it’s how durable and efficient a car could become throughout the many laps of an entire race. In real life, and effectively in F1 2021, mechanics easily become about fuel and tire management. Players that forget this are in for a rough ride, as speed can easily translate into penalties and crashes when not managed properly.
In this regard, it helps to follow a few tips when racing in general. For instance, it helps to invest in as little movement as possible when it comes to cornering. After all, tyres wear out less when they aren’t in friction all the time. In terms of fuel, lifting the throttle when cornering won’t slow players as much as helps them retain momentum.