Like many racing games, the official F1 series forever strives to achieve the most realistic and immersive simulation possible. For many, this means that, much like real-life F1, the game is right at the cutting edge, pushing boundaries on what is possible for a racing sim.

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However, it can be daunting for those newer to the game to jump into such a realistic and detailed game, with cars just as twitchy and finely balanced as their real-world counterparts. With that in mind, here are some of the best settings for newcomers to F1 22 looking for a more accessible experience.

9 Reduce Damage

f1 22 cars racing in a line

Although obvious, limiting or removing damage on F1 22 is a good way to reduce frustration and allow newer players to learn the game at their own pace. There is nothing more frustrating than clipping another car into turn one, losing the front wing, and having a whole race ruined on the opening lap. Realistic? Yes. But for players just starting out, it’s definitely advisable to reduce the amount of damage applied from coming into contact with others on track.

Luckily, there are several steps, including “off,” “reduced,” “standard,” and “simulation, so players can gradually increase the damage as they improve at the game.

8 Use Flashbacks

F1 22

Along with plenty of other racing games, F1 22 allows players to jump into the replay camera and flashback/rewind to an earlier moment. This is a lifesaver when misjudging a risky overtake or spinning out on a flat-out qualifying run. Seasoned veterans of the game will, of course, prefer to test themselves without this feature switched on, but for newbies, it’s a great way to play without the fear of crashing out at every corner.

F1 22 also lets players limit the number of flashbacks per session, so they can choose when and where to rewind big incidents and try again.

7 Adjust AI Difficulty

f1 22 car ea sports

Another important setting is how quickly the AI drivers will make it around the track. While there is no hard and fast rule for this, a general rule of thumb is to make sure your AI teammate is within one second of you over one lap. This is because two drivers in the same car should be pretty evenly matched around a lap, so keeping close to your teammate offers the most realistic difficulty.

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Of course, personal preference does come into play here, but sticking to this rule means players are fairly matched for their machinery, no matter if they are fighting for wins in a Ferrari or scrapping at the back in a Williams.

6 Keep ABS On

Rain in F1 22

There’s nothing worse than locking up and plowing straight on at a corner, and it’s very easily done in F1 22. For new players, keeping antilock braking turned on means one less thing to worry about as they get to grips with the game.

This is particularly helpful when playing with a controller pad, which offers less feel and force feedback than more expensive race wheel setups used by many experienced players.

5 Use Pit Lane Assist

Pit Stop in F1 22

Pit stops and strategy are fundamental elements in F1 22, so being comfortable in the pit lane is a must for all players, especially newcomers. Turning on the pit lane assist means players don’t need to worry about penalties for speeding in the pit lane or having to get an optimal launch out of the pit box, as both are handled automatically by the game.

This is super helpful as it’s easy to misjudge speed on pit entry and pick up a penalty, so removing this worry for new players is a good idea early on.

4 Automatic Gears

Williams F1 Miami GP

Purists may say it’s better to learn with manual gears, and it certainly does mean players can go faster round the track once they’ve mastered it, but for those playing F1 22 for the first time, automatic gears are the way to go.

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Having to worry about revs, downshifting into corners, as well as car position and braking, is just so much to take in for new players, so automatic gears are a great help. Reducing the number of moving parts for players to worry about is a vital part of increasing the accessibility of F1 22.

3 Follow The Racing Line

f1 22 inside player helmet

Another useful setting is the racing line feature, showing players where to put their car for optimal cornering and the faster route around the lap. It may ruin the immersion to have a big line on screen the whole time, so it can be helpful to switch the setting to only show the braking zone, allowing players to focus on racing while still giving helpful prompts on when and where to apply the brakes into each turn.

2 Reduced Race Distance

EA Sports F1 22

Naturally, very few players have the time or concentration to play out a full race distance. In fact, even most content creators use 50% races on stream or YouTube. The fact is, a full 100% race is just too long for most, so playing half or even a quarter of the laps is a better way to go, especially for new players.

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Opting for 25% or 50% races allows for strategy and pit stops to still be important but means races take far less time than the real thing, and it packs all the action into a condensed format.

1 One Shot Qualifying

F1 22 winding track

Similar to the reduced race distances, reducing the length of qualifying can greatly improve the accessibility of F1 22 to new players. It can be overwhelming to sit through practice, a three-stage qualifying session, and then the full Grand Prix, so here is another way to shrink down the race weekend into a more accessible package.

One shot qualifying means players simply complete one flying lap and use that to determine their place on the starting grid, instead of the full-blown Q1, Q2, and Q3 structure of a real qualifying session.

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