Codemasters pushed out a big post-launch patch for F1 23 just yesterday, but a new issue has surfaced that is undoubtedly causing some scrambling at Codies HQ.
Following the resumption of major league racing like PSGL and AOR, and some more testing and experimenting from the elite players a bizarre issue has surfaced that will need fixing before F1 Esports starts up for F1 23. The equal cars option doesn't actually give you equal cars in one crucial aspect.
Unequal tyre wear
When Codemasters create each car, they do so with their own unique characteristic. Some are more draggy, others handle the corners better while some are rocketships down the straights. They also all have different tyre wear rates, some are a lot harsher on the Pirelli rubber than others.
The idea of "equal performance" was to neutralise all of that and allow the only performance gap to come from the driver and the setup they opted to put on the car. But it looks like that isn't the case in F1 23 and it is causing some chaos in the community.
It appears that the equal car setting retains the cars unique tyre usage. That means that some cars will chew up their tyres faster than others in a mode that is meant to allow for a level platform.
It's something that only the most consistent and accurate drivers could discover, which is why it has taken this long to notice and required the fastest of the fast to spot it.
Some players have even done detailed data-driven testing since this issue was found to show the problem.
As a result, elite leagues like PSGL have suspended their races to figure out if there is something they can do while we hope Codemasters is pushing to figure out a fix.
Wider impact
This bug might not seem major, and for most players it won't be an issue. However, it is massive for F1 Esports. One of the most prestigious esports competitions going, all 10 F1 teams hire the best drivers and engineers they can in a bid to win the lion's share of a $750,000 prize pool.
Millions watch over the course of the season, and drivers rely on their own talent rather than car performance to make the difference. But this season it looks like there will be a difference that is outside the control of the teams and that will be unacceptable.
F1 teams have a big influence on what can and can't be included in the Formula 1 games, and this tyre issue is likely to be a priority to get fixed before the start of the F1 esports season comes around.
We should expect a fix to be in the next patch or even pushed out via a hotfix to make sure it is taken care of as quickly as possible.