We are just a month away from F1 Manager 2023, and the excitement is building. After a solid first release, Frontier is looking to make the new game a deeper overall experience and build on the foundations they already have.
Following a preview of the new game, we spotted something that could take make the game a real winner with fans, as Frontier's bid to widen the driver pool as made for an exciting challenge for those who enjoy racing beyond F1...
IndyCar driver makes the roster in F1 Manager 2023
F1 Manager 2023 boasts a huge roster of drivers. Not only do you get all 20 current F1 drivers along with all the current F2, and F3 drivers, you also get the F1 reserve drivers.
That means the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher are still in the game despite not having a race seat this season. But it also means that an IndyCar driver is in the game.
Current championship leader Alex Palou is listed as a McLaren reserve driver in F1 Manager 2023, meaning you can snap him up for a seat and see what would happen with him in F1.
There has been many rumours about Palou making the switch from IndyCar to F1 recently, with AlphaTauri apparently interested in the Spaniard. At 26 years old he doesn't have a lot of development time ahead of him in-game, but will be a fun challenge to bring him in and try to win a title.
In our preview build he has a 74 rating, but this isn't final and could change by the time the game hits the shelves. That's a roughly similar rating to other reserve drivers from last year's game, and will make claiming race wins with him tricky. But we all love a challenge right?
F1 Manager 2023 gameplay preview
We were able to spot Palou's presence in F1 Manager 2023 thanks to a hands-on preview we got with the game. We had the chance to try out the new Race Replay feature and a mid-season race.
We had great fun trying out the new game. It is definitely similar to last year's title, but there is some added depth too. You can check out our full preview here.
F1 Manager 2023 release date
You don't have long to wait for the new game. The official F1 Manager 2023 release date is set for 31 July. However, you can play a little earlier.
The Deluxe Edition comes with four days early access, letting you play from 27 July.