The hype around F1 Manager 2022 keeps building, but we are yet to see any real gameplay from Frontier Developments.
While the F1 season is creating great racing, and Codemasters has shown off F1 22, we have only seen screenshots and small glimpses of F1 Manager.
As a new franchise in the racing & managerial world we are all intrigued to know just how this game will play.
F1 Manager 2022 gameplay
From what we know so far, F1 Manager 2022 will feature a broadcast-quality race day that replicated real-world camera angles, racing lines, and more.
But we don't know how players will interact with the races, how we perform scouting, hiring, firing, and all the resource management that goes into Formula 1.
These details are key to how F1 Manager will flow from race to race and season to season.
Menu after menu
From the screenshots of the game we've seen so far, we know there will be a lot of information on display.
This is to be expected, but how these menus are tied together is going to be key to the experience the player has within F1 Manager.
Is it clear how you view your staff, departments, and overall team? Are the budgets easy to digest or obscure and tucked away deep in menus?
This is a balance that Football Manager, the successful Sports Interactive series, has taken years to figure out and is still trying to streamline and improve.
If F1 Manager's menus are too dense then players will struggle to interact with features, but too thin and the game will feel light and incomplete.
The screenshots are promising. The main hub has a navbar at the bottom that details the key areas, and then has several separate options on the side.
Until we see these in action, and a player going from screen to screen, we just don't know how the game will flow.
Race day
The key thing we are missing so far is the most important part of it all. Race day.
The driver face scans and track-side images we've seen so far suggest a huge attention to detail, but the actual interaction between the player and the race is key to the success of F1 Manager.
With Frontier being coy about gameplay so far we hope they have a big showcase planned for the future.
With Grands Prix coming thick and fast over the next few weeks there are going to be plenty of chances for Frontier to show off just how being a Team Principal will go.
From interacting with drivers, making mid-race strategy calls, and utilising ERS, there will be a lot to do for players. A smooth race day interface and clear mechanics will be crucial.
When will we see gameplay?
With a Summer 2022 release window, Frontier is starting to run out of time to really build this game.
While we expect F1 Manager to arrive toward the end of that timeframe, maybe in August, the presence of F1 22 is going to complicate matters for the new title.
With the Codemasters title arriving at the end of June, it would make sense for Frontier to get their gameplay reveal out before that game takes over the racing scene.
Either way we can't wait to see just what F1 Manager will be like, and hope Frontier won't take their time over showing us!
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