Post by lucasfawkes on Jan 25, 2024 7:24:24 GMT 2
Stepping into the world of F1 Manager Pro after my adventure with F1 Manager 96 was quite the thrill. Despite losing the official FIA license in its 1997 release, the game's gameplay remained solid, thanks to the era's common practice of creating mods – a feature also found in GPM2. Crafting mods was a breeze, allowing me to relive the 1997 season without the need to tweak driver stats and salaries, leveraging the groundwork laid by developers 25 years ago.
Drawing from my previous gaming experience, I decided to forge my own team in this virtual F1 universe. Replacing the defunct Lola, the 12th team to hit the track in my fictional 1997 was none other than Copersucar Fittipaldi. Making a comeback after their success in the '70s with Wilson and Emmo Fittipaldi, this humble Brazilian team returned to the grid, now led by Wilson's son and Emmo's nephew, Christian Fittipaldi.
My engineers in each department and the mechanics on my team generally ranged between 1 and 2 stars, with an occasional 3-star member – a game recommendation to avoid frustrating talented professionals in underperforming teams. Similarly, all standard parts in the game were of this level, leaving me uncertain about our competitiveness, especially with my non-aerodynamic parts package. The question lingered: would we struggle to qualify? Could we at least compete with Minardi and Tyrrell? My primary goal was clear: avoid bankruptcy and, if possible, be the least terrible team among the worst right from the first year.
Before kicking off the season, I made the decision to study the circuits on the calendar and the recorded times from the previous year, 1996. A quick analysis revealed that most tracks fell into the "medium" speed or medium downforce category. At the extremes, we had slow tracks (e.g., Monaco and Buenos Aires) and fast ones (Monza and Hockenheim). Averaging the speeds of the tracks in kilometers per hour, I chose to conduct my pre-season at the French track of Magny-Cours. Not only was it one of the tracks authorized for pre-season training in the game, but it also had the closest average speed to the F1 season's overall average in 1996 (202.9 km/h). The only different track in the game's 1997 calendar was the A1 Ring in Austria. Interestingly, the controversial real-life finale of '97 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, wasn't included in the game. With this in mind, I outlined the tire compound toughness I would need to purchase and use for each race, along with the most suitable fuel mixture modes for each: more air for high-speed tracks and more gasoline for low-speed circuits.
I ended the season quite pleased: not only did I qualify in almost every race, but I also managed to be faster, on average, than Minardi and Tyrrell. The operational learning from this year will help avoid mistakes in 1998. More importantly, saving and optimizing resources, even with investments in a new factory and a new design center, in addition to the new logistics hub already in operation, I ended with a profit of $15 million. Analyzing where I am spending more, I decided to spend the surplus on higher-quality third-party engines and parts. I will also sign contracts with better suppliers, even if I don't have their sponsorship or any kind of discount. Crucially, I am targeting Yamaha or Mugen-Honda engines, both nearly 100 hp more powerful and V10. For drivers, I hired two rivals, maintaining the logic of hiring staff suitable for the team's low performance expectations. To do this, I renewed contracts with the 1 to 2-star engineering staff, signing agreements with Salo and Magnussen. Both are inexpensive and slightly better than Fittipaldi and Comas. More importantly, both have average motivation. In fact, Comas was retained but as a test driver, basically to be my benchmark in the next preseason, where I will test how much faster Salo and Magnussen are.
More or less like reality, McLaren made a comeback on the top step of the podium twice, but courtesy of Coulthard, not Hakkinen, who finished a modest seventh. Benettons piloted by Berger and Alesi performed solidly, with Berger clinching a victory. On the team front, Williams dominated, doubling the points of... Benetton! McLaren narrowly missed the vice-championship by a single point. Ferrari underperformed, thanks to Irvine's lackluster showing. Jordan secured a middle ground, keeping a noticeable distance from both mid-tier and top-tier teams. Sauber, Prost, and Arrows barely registered any points. It seems that retirements are scarcer in this game than in real life, and standout performances are rarer, like Hill's in Hungaroring in '97 reality.
Drawing from my previous gaming experience, I decided to forge my own team in this virtual F1 universe. Replacing the defunct Lola, the 12th team to hit the track in my fictional 1997 was none other than Copersucar Fittipaldi. Making a comeback after their success in the '70s with Wilson and Emmo Fittipaldi, this humble Brazilian team returned to the grid, now led by Wilson's son and Emmo's nephew, Christian Fittipaldi.
After a stint with the underrated Minardi and Arrows, Christian took on the challenge, having ventured into CART between 1995 and 1996. Opting for veteran Erik Comas as his teammate, I anticipated Comas' reliability and feedback, even though he lacked Christian's overall talent. Unfortunately, both drivers kicked off the season with zero motivation and expectations, given their retired status, impacting their performance throughout the year. All in all, in this alternate storyline, Wilson and Emmo, the latter recently retired from CART, joined forces once again. With support from Brazilian and international sponsors, they laid the foundations for the new Copersucar Fittipaldi.
In 1997, our setup was modest but genuine. As a manager, I couldn't secure highly attractive supplier contracts, but at least they were cost-effective, occasionally providing us with purchase bonuses or discounts. For engines, we partnered with Ford, leveraging Emmo's historical ties with the brand from his days with Lotus, McLaren, and the original Copersucar team in the '70s and '80s. This choice was also influenced by some CART teams running Ford-Cosworth engines. The Ford ED, also used by Tyrrell, had its drawbacks – a V8 in an era of V10s, relatively underpowered, and slightly overweight. When it came to fuel, SASOL, despite being the least favorable supplier, offered us a substantial discount. The story was the same for our tires – we had to go with the new Bridgestones, not the ideal choice compared to the established Good Year. For the gearbox, I opted for the reliable ZF, even though it lacked the semi-automatic features of pricier alternatives. Our ECU came from the budget-friendly Magnetti Marelli lineup. As for brakes, we went with Brembo, but opted for steel instead of carbon – the latter being a more expensive choice.
Right from the start, leveraging my previous experience with the predecessor, F1 Manager 96, I set goals and laid out a plan for the season. Despite having relatively little cash on hand, even after securing a 4 out of 5-star sponsorship deal with Bitburguer (who ended up disappointed with our performance throughout the season), it was crucial to organize the calendar for developing and manufacturing new parts in a timely manner. It's worth noting that I began the game with all facilities at level 1. The first step was to maximize the utilization of engineers and mechanics given the installed capacity. While I couldn't afford to splurge, I also didn't want to miss out on maximizing the structure I had.
My engineers in each department and the mechanics on my team generally ranged between 1 and 2 stars, with an occasional 3-star member – a game recommendation to avoid frustrating talented professionals in underperforming teams. Similarly, all standard parts in the game were of this level, leaving me uncertain about our competitiveness, especially with my non-aerodynamic parts package. The question lingered: would we struggle to qualify? Could we at least compete with Minardi and Tyrrell? My primary goal was clear: avoid bankruptcy and, if possible, be the least terrible team among the worst right from the first year.
Before kicking off the season, I made the decision to study the circuits on the calendar and the recorded times from the previous year, 1996. A quick analysis revealed that most tracks fell into the "medium" speed or medium downforce category. At the extremes, we had slow tracks (e.g., Monaco and Buenos Aires) and fast ones (Monza and Hockenheim). Averaging the speeds of the tracks in kilometers per hour, I chose to conduct my pre-season at the French track of Magny-Cours. Not only was it one of the tracks authorized for pre-season training in the game, but it also had the closest average speed to the F1 season's overall average in 1996 (202.9 km/h). The only different track in the game's 1997 calendar was the A1 Ring in Austria. Interestingly, the controversial real-life finale of '97 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, wasn't included in the game. With this in mind, I outlined the tire compound toughness I would need to purchase and use for each race, along with the most suitable fuel mixture modes for each: more air for high-speed tracks and more gasoline for low-speed circuits.
Equally important, I outlined a modest series of upgrades in line with my limited design and production capabilities. The obvious choice was, naturally (as was the case in the '90s and remains today with Williams), to create a low downforce package for both the front and rear wings to compensate for my lack of power on high-speed tracks. Why? Because these components are smaller in volume, making it quick and easy to achieve low drag and aerodynamic pressure. Once I was confident that my budget would suffice for the season, my next move was to increase my logistical capacity. This would allow me to bring more parts to races, essential for replacing worn-out components and ensuring that the cars finished the races. With lower priority, depending on the budget, I aimed to redesign/improve my existing parts, adding downforce (especially at the rear) and stability, while reducing weight and aerodynamic drag. I also noticed that my airbox and sidepods had more cooling capacity than necessary to keep my Ford V8s in good condition during races. I planned to redesign them, reducing air intakes and, consequently, the associated aerodynamic drag.
In my calculations, expectations were positive, at least on the financial side. After pre-season expenses, a simulation pointed to a $15 million profit at the end of the year. Now, let's talk about the pre-season. At the end of January, after a month of preparation, I headed to Magny-Cours. The French winter gave us a break, but I still operated in temperatures below those found in real life. Unlike its predecessor, F1 Manager Pro features real weather that changes during sessions, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Rain can indeed surprise you. Moreover, there are more setup variables beyond wings and suspensions: you can adjust fuel mixture (more air or more gasoline), brake distribution, and, last but not least, gear ratios. During the pre-season, I dedicated myself to finding the best setup for each driver, assuming, according to the game's manual, that drivers react differently to each setup – a fact proven in both my experiences with F1 Manager 96 and Pro.
In my calculations, expectations were positive, at least on the financial side. After pre-season expenses, a simulation pointed to a $15 million profit at the end of the year. Now, let's talk about the pre-season. At the end of January, after a month of preparation, I headed to Magny-Cours. The French winter gave us a break, but I still operated in temperatures below those found in real life. Unlike its predecessor, F1 Manager Pro features real weather that changes during sessions, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Rain can indeed surprise you. Moreover, there are more setup variables beyond wings and suspensions: you can adjust fuel mixture (more air or more gasoline), brake distribution, and, last but not least, gear ratios. During the pre-season, I dedicated myself to finding the best setup for each driver, assuming, according to the game's manual, that drivers react differently to each setup – a fact proven in both my experiences with F1 Manager 96 and Pro.
And how does one find this so-called best setup? By adapting an experimental method. I began with the wings: besides finding the most suitable setup range, I also tested whether the drivers preferred more front or rear wing. Once the aerodynamic setup was found, I repeated this process with each existing setup variable, tweaking one at a time to be sure. Meanwhile, I recorded the average laps for each setup in an Excel spreadsheet, also saving lap data within the game, which proved useful in understanding if, for example, a certain wing degree helped or hindered on straights or curves, or if a more front-biased brake distribution allowed the drivers to carry more speed into turns (which proved true). Finally, I tested different tire compounds to measure the average difference and wear between them, crucial when choosing which compound to bring to each track. We also practiced qualifying laps, urging the drivers to take risks and go all out.
All set for the start of the season in Melbourne 🇦🇺. Right from the beginning, I crossed off one of the biggest concerns: would it be possible to qualify for the races, even though in this first GP my cars ended up slightly behind the already weak Minardi and Tyrrell. In the race, if memory serves me right, I had retirements due to component wear and a miscalculation of fuel... okay, on to the next one. In Brazil 🇧🇷, our home race and also Christian's, we got closer to the smaller teams, but still started from the back row. In the race, we didn't finish, again due to trivial execution errors, although this time Comas survived long enough to retire in 18th, a small improvement from starting in 23rd. In neighboring Argentina 🇦🇷, our first glimmer of a result: we managed to start 17th and 19th, ahead of direct rivals and, surprisingly, ahead of Panis's Prost and Barrichello's Stewart. In the race, at least in the early stages, and with retirements from competitors, we even ran in 16th and 17th, only to finish with another retirement from Comas. At least Fittipaldi finished the race in a lonely 15th, five laps behind the leaders and one behind Katayama in the Minardi.
Here, two season trends were emerging, and I only realized them too late: my cars' pace dropped significantly during races, and Comas consistently experienced gearbox failures. The answer to this lackluster performance lay in the fact that I used team orders to prevent the drivers from taking risks and to ensure they finished the race, creating a significant gap between qualifying performance and race pace. As for Comas' gearbox failures, they occurred because I didn't have much space in the stock logistics to install new parts before races. Comas, in particular, wore out the cars more than Fittipaldi, proving to be a problem. As a temporary solution until my new trucks/logistics system/stock was completed, I decided to use the third car as the one to be taken over by the better-performing driver in the race. I also had to rotate damaged parts between the drivers and the spare car in the hope of finishing the GPs.
The first half of the season followed this trend: okay performance in qualifications, and Fittipaldi occasionally finishing a race. I also had a steep learning curve with tire compounds, using free practice not only to find the best setup for each track (usually adapting my Magny-Cours 🇫🇷 developed setup), but also to estimate which compound was faster and practical during races. Sometimes, this meant taking risks with softer compounds and more pit stops, only for them not to last long enough in races, and I had to pit 3 or 4 times. If you leave your drivers until the end of tire life in this game, they simply retire instead of limping slowly to the pits. The highlight until then was the French GP, not coincidentally the track where I conducted my pre-season. Starting 18th and 20th, I managed to finish 19th with Comas. On this track, I also discovered that a more aggressive fuel mixture damaged the engine significantly, greatly increasing the risk of retirement during the race. As a contrast, in the next race at Silverstone 🇬🇧, I had a terrible weekend, making an error in Comas' aerodynamic setup, preventing him from qualifying. To make matters worse, Fittipaldi, who had made few mistakes and rarely retired due to breakdowns, made an error and crashed on his own in this race.
Here, two season trends were emerging, and I only realized them too late: my cars' pace dropped significantly during races, and Comas consistently experienced gearbox failures. The answer to this lackluster performance lay in the fact that I used team orders to prevent the drivers from taking risks and to ensure they finished the race, creating a significant gap between qualifying performance and race pace. As for Comas' gearbox failures, they occurred because I didn't have much space in the stock logistics to install new parts before races. Comas, in particular, wore out the cars more than Fittipaldi, proving to be a problem. As a temporary solution until my new trucks/logistics system/stock was completed, I decided to use the third car as the one to be taken over by the better-performing driver in the race. I also had to rotate damaged parts between the drivers and the spare car in the hope of finishing the GPs.
The first half of the season followed this trend: okay performance in qualifications, and Fittipaldi occasionally finishing a race. I also had a steep learning curve with tire compounds, using free practice not only to find the best setup for each track (usually adapting my Magny-Cours 🇫🇷 developed setup), but also to estimate which compound was faster and practical during races. Sometimes, this meant taking risks with softer compounds and more pit stops, only for them not to last long enough in races, and I had to pit 3 or 4 times. If you leave your drivers until the end of tire life in this game, they simply retire instead of limping slowly to the pits. The highlight until then was the French GP, not coincidentally the track where I conducted my pre-season. Starting 18th and 20th, I managed to finish 19th with Comas. On this track, I also discovered that a more aggressive fuel mixture damaged the engine significantly, greatly increasing the risk of retirement during the race. As a contrast, in the next race at Silverstone 🇬🇧, I had a terrible weekend, making an error in Comas' aerodynamic setup, preventing him from qualifying. To make matters worse, Fittipaldi, who had made few mistakes and rarely retired due to breakdowns, made an error and crashed on his own in this race.
From this point onward, the Copersucar Fittipaldi's season took a turn: the low downforce aerodynamic kits were ready. I seized a gap in the calendar to conduct a private test in Monza 🇮🇹, fine-tuning the car with the setup and gaining valuable experience with the new kit. This is crucial for the kit's evolution. In the case of these parts, I needed to add stability since they already had low downforce and aerodynamic drag. Nevertheless, the outcome was highly positive from the first high-speed race, despite the very weak Ford V8 engine. The proof was my qualification in 16th with Fittipaldi in Hockenheim 🇩🇪, beating not only Minardis and Tyrrells but also both Arrows. In the race, the pace of the stronger cars still compensated for them starting behind. Nevertheless, I outperformed the weaker teams and Diniz's Arrows to achieve a heroic (!) 16th place with Fittipaldi, just two laps behind Villeneuve. Comas finished in 18th, inaugurating a trend of both cars finishing races, crucial for our team to receive the FIA prize money, thus offsetting our costs.
The car performing well on high-speed tracks was expected, actually a more positive surprise than anticipated. What I didn't expect was that, with new parts for every race, now that I had extra logistical capacity, I could push the cars more. Refining the setups, Comas achieved an incredible P10 in the Hungaroring 🇭🇺 qualifying, while Fittipaldi maintained the trend of starting 17th or better. In the races, we moved backward like the current Ferraris and Haas teams. Still, I was very pleased with the noticeable performance improvement during the season. A good race in Spa 🇧🇪 was followed by a spectacular (given my low expectations) one in Monza 🇮🇹. With the setup already prepared in advance, we would start 15th and 16th. Unlike other races, however, both Comas and Fittipaldi managed to maintain strong pace, and counting on retirements, we finished 12th (Fittipaldi) and 14th (Comas). It was practically a victory for a team accustomed to starting 23rd and 24th.
The car performing well on high-speed tracks was expected, actually a more positive surprise than anticipated. What I didn't expect was that, with new parts for every race, now that I had extra logistical capacity, I could push the cars more. Refining the setups, Comas achieved an incredible P10 in the Hungaroring 🇭🇺 qualifying, while Fittipaldi maintained the trend of starting 17th or better. In the races, we moved backward like the current Ferraris and Haas teams. Still, I was very pleased with the noticeable performance improvement during the season. A good race in Spa 🇧🇪 was followed by a spectacular (given my low expectations) one in Monza 🇮🇹. With the setup already prepared in advance, we would start 15th and 16th. Unlike other races, however, both Comas and Fittipaldi managed to maintain strong pace, and counting on retirements, we finished 12th (Fittipaldi) and 14th (Comas). It was practically a victory for a team accustomed to starting 23rd and 24th.
The end of the season was marked by strong performances on unexpected tracks, usually slower ones. However, in wet races like at Nurburgring 🇩🇪 and Suzuka 🇯🇵, the performance was quite weak. So, we finished the year tied, of course, with all the teams that didn't score points. But if we adopt the criterion of ranking the point-less teams by their highest position in a race, Fittipaldi's 12th place in Monza would give us 9th place in the constructors' championship, tied with Tyrrell but ahead of Minardi. Analyzing post-season qualification data, I concluded that the Copersucar Fittipaldi F-107 was generally slower (following the 107% rule) on faster tracks, be they straight or high-speed corners, as expected given our weak standard aerodynamic package and Ford V8 engine. However, analyzing only our performance against Minardi and Tyrrell, the pattern was reversed: we were much faster on high-speed tracks, thanks to our efficient low-downforce package.
I ended the season quite pleased: not only did I qualify in almost every race, but I also managed to be faster, on average, than Minardi and Tyrrell. The operational learning from this year will help avoid mistakes in 1998. More importantly, saving and optimizing resources, even with investments in a new factory and a new design center, in addition to the new logistics hub already in operation, I ended with a profit of $15 million. Analyzing where I am spending more, I decided to spend the surplus on higher-quality third-party engines and parts. I will also sign contracts with better suppliers, even if I don't have their sponsorship or any kind of discount. Crucially, I am targeting Yamaha or Mugen-Honda engines, both nearly 100 hp more powerful and V10. For drivers, I hired two rivals, maintaining the logic of hiring staff suitable for the team's low performance expectations. To do this, I renewed contracts with the 1 to 2-star engineering staff, signing agreements with Salo and Magnussen. Both are inexpensive and slightly better than Fittipaldi and Comas. More importantly, both have average motivation. In fact, Comas was retained but as a test driver, basically to be my benchmark in the next preseason, where I will test how much faster Salo and Magnussen are.
My '97 season saw Villeneuve clinching the title, much like in real life. However, unlike the real-world excitement, Schumacher posed no challenge, and Frentzen settled for the runner-up spot with a 9-point gap. The championship was sealed a race early. Perhaps Schumacher isn't as formidable in this game as he was in F1 Manager 96, or maybe the cars play a more pivotal role here, mirroring real-life dynamics.
More or less like reality, McLaren made a comeback on the top step of the podium twice, but courtesy of Coulthard, not Hakkinen, who finished a modest seventh. Benettons piloted by Berger and Alesi performed solidly, with Berger clinching a victory. On the team front, Williams dominated, doubling the points of... Benetton! McLaren narrowly missed the vice-championship by a single point. Ferrari underperformed, thanks to Irvine's lackluster showing. Jordan secured a middle ground, keeping a noticeable distance from both mid-tier and top-tier teams. Sauber, Prost, and Arrows barely registered any points. It seems that retirements are scarcer in this game than in real life, and standout performances are rarer, like Hill's in Hungaroring in '97 reality.
Excitement for 1998 is building up – anyone else feeling it?