The Off-Track Management
Much of what's been covered are often done by others in an F1 team, but what about the actual management part of the game, the negotiations and the smart tricks that make you and your team stand out. Well, they are there, to a certain degree. You negotiate contracts with drivers, chief designer, techincal director and the race engineers.
At the start of every new season (not the first), you also choose the sponsorship commitments. You may choose to invite the sponsors to the factory more often, have your drivers do more days with sponsors, media and so on. You get more money for it, but you also hamper the development, or even your drivers focus during the race weekend. At the start of every new season you also choose what engine to use. Of course you also manage your drivers during the race weekend. However, the whole management department is lacking a bit in the game, the negotiations with drivers and technical staff isn't very hard, it's not much work with it. There are almost no dilemmas to deal with, those that show up are small ones like sending your staff to a school for one day, it will halt all production, design and research, but you get 100k for it. Or throw a party. Nothing that relates to racing, the drivers, employees or anything. While your drivers and staff can get low morale, the only thing that fixes it is getting better results and a nicer looking HQ/facility. That's done by clicking a button.
The financial management of the game is almost non existent. I continuously upgraded all facilities and my car in my first season with Williams. Mid-season I even swapped Latifi for Piastri and had to pay a buyout fee. I was never in danger of not having money, or in any danger of hitting the cost cap. It's easy and simple.
You have no chance to work to convince drivers of staff to join your team either. They are interested, or they are not. As easy as that. So if I wanted to pay the buyout fee, I could sign Bottas, who were regularly competing for top 5's in Alfa, for my Williams in a mid season move. Why Bottas wanted to, I don't know. It also genuinely doesn't feel like your in-race management does much for the actual result.
But this is just the general overview, what's the good and bad with the game? Continue reading on the next page.
At the start of every new season (not the first), you also choose the sponsorship commitments. You may choose to invite the sponsors to the factory more often, have your drivers do more days with sponsors, media and so on. You get more money for it, but you also hamper the development, or even your drivers focus during the race weekend. At the start of every new season you also choose what engine to use. Of course you also manage your drivers during the race weekend. However, the whole management department is lacking a bit in the game, the negotiations with drivers and technical staff isn't very hard, it's not much work with it. There are almost no dilemmas to deal with, those that show up are small ones like sending your staff to a school for one day, it will halt all production, design and research, but you get 100k for it. Or throw a party. Nothing that relates to racing, the drivers, employees or anything. While your drivers and staff can get low morale, the only thing that fixes it is getting better results and a nicer looking HQ/facility. That's done by clicking a button.
The financial management of the game is almost non existent. I continuously upgraded all facilities and my car in my first season with Williams. Mid-season I even swapped Latifi for Piastri and had to pay a buyout fee. I was never in danger of not having money, or in any danger of hitting the cost cap. It's easy and simple.
You have no chance to work to convince drivers of staff to join your team either. They are interested, or they are not. As easy as that. So if I wanted to pay the buyout fee, I could sign Bottas, who were regularly competing for top 5's in Alfa, for my Williams in a mid season move. Why Bottas wanted to, I don't know. It also genuinely doesn't feel like your in-race management does much for the actual result.
But this is just the general overview, what's the good and bad with the game? Continue reading on the next page.
- Next page: Goodies!
- Previous page: Car & Driver Development
