The time has come for Formula 1 fans to finally get their hands on F1 2020, the latest installment in the Codemasters series. For those of you who are not “experts” in the world of single seaters, but would really like to try this game, below you will find some important F1 2020 tips and tricks to help you in your journey and to get carried away with the technicalities of Formula 1.
MENU AND CONTROLS
F1 2020 is a title full of menus and controls, which help you remember all the changes you have made, the strategies you have set up, and much more. In particular, the menus that you can consult during the race, located at the bottom right of the HUD, are particularly useful for checking the status of all the components of your car. This is the so-called multi-function display (MFD). If you need some improvements like snap shades, you can easily purchase it online.
These reports provide, among others, patterns of wear, temperature of the tires, if there is any damage to your car, or provide you with the state of the engine power unit. From the same menus you can also adjust some settings with an immediate effect, such as the type of fuel mixture supplied.
In the same area of the HUD it is possible to ask your team for some indications, both via voice commands and by pressing the relevant button. These range from information on the other drivers on the track, to a summary of the race strategy with a reminder of the pit stops schedule and updates on the status of your car in case you are too busy to look at the aforementioned menus and prefer to hear a small report.
Thanks to this F1 2020 tips and tricks guide, below you will find all available in-game controls, divided by platforms (PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / PC).
- Steering: L / L / Left & Right Arrow Keys
- Camera Free Look: R / R / UNAVBL
- Look Back: R3 / R3 / End
- Change Camera: R1 / RB / C
- Accelerate: R2 / RT / Space Bar
- Radio & Voice Commands: L1 / LB / T
- Brake / Reverse: L2 / LT / CTRL
- Dash: L3 / L3 / UNAVBL
- Gear Down: Square / X / Z
- Activate DRS: Triangle / Y / W
- Gear Up: X / A / A
- Evade or Jump (When near a ledge): L + X / L + A / UNAVBL
- Multi Function Display (MFD): Circle / B / 0
- MFD Shortcut or Navigation: D-Pad / D-Pad / 1; 2; 3; 4
- Flashback: Touchpad / Touchpad / X
- Pause Menu: Options / Start / ESC
THE DRIVING SYSTEM
In a title like F1 2020 it is obviously essential to learn the driving system that manages the performance of the cars in the race, in order to understand when it is possible to use it to overtake and when it is better not to risk uncertain maneuvers.
In particular, it is important to gain a lot of experience at the beginning of your career, using as much free practice and pre-race qualifications as possible. In doing this, you will familiarize yourself with the feedback of the car when cornering, braking, and accelerating. At the beginning you may have some, if not many, difficulties, but do not be discouraged.
As you play, you will become more familiar with everything, until you become an actual expert. Keep in mind, however, that you can customize the driving system to your liking and according to your skills, thanks to the aids I talk about below.
GET HELP
As mentioned, in F1 2020 there are various options that can be modified to provide you with driving assistance, in order to make your vehicle more stable, indicate the ideal trajectory when cornering, show you when to brake, and much more. Thanks to this F1 2020 tips and tricks guide, below you will find the complete list of aids present in the game.
- Braking Assist: Shows how much the game will help you during braking.
- Anti-lock Brakes: If activated, this setting will prevent the wheels from locking after sudden braking.
- Traction Control: If activated, it will prevent the car from sliding too much during acceleration, especially in cases of restarting from a standstill or after a curve.
- Dynamic Racing Line: This setting will cause a trajectory along the track to appear, green if your speed is good, and yellow or red if you have to brake. You can select the complete option or the “curves only” option, and decide whether to display it in 3D or 2D.
- Gearbox: As the name implies, you can set the gearbox to automatic or manual.
- Pit Assist: If activated, it will take control of the car at the entrance to the pits, so you won’t have to worry about respecting the speed limit and parking correctly.
- Pit Release Assist: Like the previous one, but it takes care of exiting the pits.
- ERS Assist: If activated, it will automatically manage the delivery of extra energy via ERS. Otherwise you will have the possibility to manually activate the overtaking mode during the race, which will provide you with a boost for the engine power for a few seconds.
- DRS Assist: It automatically manages the DRS.
- Fuel Assist: It automatically manages the various fuel mixtures. If deactivated you can alternate the fuel mixture between lean, standard, and rich, but be careful with consumption.
In F1 2020, Codemasters added the Simple Driving Mode, which is nothing more than a preset aid setup for all those who need more marked assistance, perhaps because they are looking at the product for the first time. In fact, this setup is far too generous in terms of driving aids.
It tends to return a feeling of “autopilot” once you get off the track, practically braking for you and remaining glued to the ideal trajectory on the track. The advice is therefore not to activate it and rather create your own aid setup customized according to your skills, and then limit them as you become more practical with Formula 1 cars.
STUDY THE CAR SETUP
A fundamental phase of the pre-race weekend is the in-depth study of the circuit and its characteristics. Your team will provide you with an analysis of the course, curves, maximum speeds, and race strategy. Use this to customize the car setup, changing downforce, weight, amount of fuel to be transported, and much more. Initially, it is likely that the amount of information and details in this section will overwhelm you.
It is very important that you learn what the various changes are for, because thanks to an efficient setup, you will be able to gain a few tenths of a second compared to a standard car set-up. Take note that there are pre-defined setups, from the more agile ones to better face circuits with many dangerous curves, to those marked by pure power, to be the fastest in races with very long straights.
Also, don’t forget that before each weekend you have the opportunity to select the type of tires to take with you in free practice, qualifying, and race. My advice will be to always choose a good number of soft tires and a few hard tires, so you can adapt well to any weather conditions and race strategy.
Was our F1 2020 tips and tricks guide useful or is something missing? Please let us know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below, or make sure to read our F1 2020 review. Are you already playing the game and need help with ‘My Team’ mode? Read our guide here!