F1 2021 is here! The official Formula 1 game is back and on the next-gen consoles for the very first time. The transition to the new systems has been a seamless one for F1 2021, to read exactly why, check out our full review.
One of our favourite features in last year's game makes a return in 2021, My Team. My Team allows you to become an owner-driver of a new Formula 1 team of your own design.
The basics
When you first start up My Team, you'll be asked to create your driver, logo, and name your team. Make sure you personalise it to you, as you won't be able to change these later on. The first option with any real importance to choose your primary sponsor. We recommend going with the highest possible in terms of pay-out.
Even if you don't reach the target (which usually isn't too difficult) you get a larger signing bonus to get you off on the right foot. Next, you need to choose your engine supplier. Durability and performance are both very important when it comes to your power unit.
So, it's up to you which you go for. Ferrari have the best endurance, Mercedes the highest power, while Honda are a good all-round engine. If you want to penny-pinch here, Renault are a decent option, but this is the worst supplier on the grid.
You then design your car's livery and the team's badge, so choose something that stands out against the grey and white we see too much of on the grid these days. You can change these, but only after your first season, so make sure it's something you like.
Your number two
You'll be driving as the lead driver in your new team, but you'll need a number two to race alongside you. It's important to pick someone good for this role, as you won't always be able to score points. This is especially the case when there are multiple strategy options and if you have mechanical failures enabled.
You won't have the entire F1 2021 driver market to pick your number two from, not even if you have icons enabled. You'll instead get a choice of a random group of 6 Formula 2 drivers. These vary, but good ones to opt for are Robert Shwartzman, Guanyu Zhou, Christian Lundgaard and Dan Ticktum.
The salary doesn't matter a whole lot with these drivers, as it's so low. The most expensive is only $800k a year, a drop in the ocean compared to your running costs as a team.
If you're not a fan of any of these drivers, don't worry, their contracts only last for half a year. So, you'll be able to sign someone new before the Belgian Grand Prix in season one.
Departments & R&D
When you start My Team, your car will be around the eighth-fastest on the grid. This will place you ahead of Williams, Alfa Romeo and Haas but behind Alpine and AlphaTauri. You have to continuously develop and improve your facilities and your car if you're to stay competitive and climb the pecking order.
The first departmental upgrades you should carry out should be to get your four car performance departments up to level 1. This only requires a single upgrade for each. We'd recommend either quality control or resource point generation, as neither are expensive, and their benefits really come in handy.
Generating resource points really drives the team's R&D forward. Generating cash is also key, as this is how you fund your factory's development.
When it comes to your Research and Development, you should look at the development potential graph and see which area is lacking the most. All four areas have the same potential, but odds are that your aerodynamics and chassis will be the least developed.
Focus on bringing them up to the engine and durability's levels. Remember though, as soon as you have resource points, spend them. Upgrades take time to get onto the car, especially if they fail, so performance is everything.