F1 22: How to race without traction control

Today is the day Formula 1 gamers have been waiting for, for months. F1 22 has gone live to those who pre-ordered the game's Champions Edition. The new cars are difficult to drive, and even more so when you turn off traction control (TC).

Our review is already out, and we're impressed by this year's Formula 1 game. The new cars are proving to be a real challenge, so there's no shame in leaning on the title's assists.

TC is one of these, but what does this do and how should you use it? We've got everything you need to know right here!

What is traction control?

Traction Control (TC) is an electronic aid that limits the power delivered to the driving wheels of a car to prevent wheelspin. Wheelspin occurs when the wheels rotate faster than the tyre can accomodate with its grip limit.

This is an electronic that you'll find in all modern road cars, as it helps reduce accidents, particularly in wet weather conditions.

Formula 1 cars though, don't have TC. This is because it takes some of the challenge away from racing these incredible machines. However, you can opt to have TC active in F1 22, to allow players to get used to the cars.

With around 1,000 horsepower being transmitted to the rear wheels, it's very easy to get tail-happy exiting corners in an F1 car. This is especially the case with the 2022 cars, thanks to the new change in regulations.

With reduced levels of downforce on the rear wing, there's less downforce to push the rear tyres into the tarmac and produce grip. It's a similar story with the ground effect downforce on the floor too. This isn't effective at low speed, when you'll need TC the most, due to the lack of airflow.

How to turn TC off

Turning traction control off is as easy as you'd expect in a Formula 1 game. From the home menu, select "Game options" then "Settings". From there, you need to go to "Assists" and navigate down to Traction Control. If you want TC off, then you'll need to turn this to off.

You also have the option to go for "medium" TC, which is a comfortable halfway house between off and full TC.

If you're in My Team, Career Mode or another game mode, you can turn TC off before a racing weekend starts by pressing options on PS (Menu in Xbox) in the loading screen. You can also change your TC settings during a race weekend.

How to drive without Traction Control

Adapting to driving a modern F1 car without TC isn't easy, but it is doable if you put the practice in.

Start up a Time Trial session, as this is the only game mode where the tyre temperature and wear are constantly optimum. This will give you the best chance possible to drive the car in a controlled manner.

We also recommend starting on medium TC, rather than no TC, as that's a driving style that's easier to get your head around.

The driving style you need to employ for a car without TC is one of smoothness. You need to imagine there's an egg underneath the accelerator pedal and you have to avoid cracking it at all costs. You need to be gentle when reapplying the throttle after a corner, particularly one that has a slow-speed exit.

If you're accelerating out of a corner in fifth or a higher gear, you won't need to worry about wheelspin. If it's a lower gear than that though, you can't slam the loud pedal back on instantly, or else you'll be facing the wrong way.

This is all exaggerated in the rain or when your tyres are heavily worn, as there's even less grip available to utilise. Something else you'll need to practice without TC are your pit exits and race starts, as it's very easy to spin around without TC for those.

So, in short, get the laps in during a Time Trial session before applying what you've learned to a race in My Team or Grand Prix mode.