F1 Manager 2022: Qualifying - description, strategy F1 Manager 2022 guide, tips
Qualifying is crucial in Formula One to increase the chances of a good race. On this page of the guide to F1 Manager 2022, you'll find recommended tactics for qualifying and a discussion of the qualifying process.
Last update: 15 September 2022
On this page of the F1 Manager 2022 guide you will learn about the qualifications. We will explain the rules, how to complete qualifying sessions successfully and how to get the best results. Knowing the rules well will make it easier for you to succeed in races.
- Simulating or playing the qualifying sessions manually - what to choose?
- Q1, Q2 and Q3 rules
- Recommended universal qualifying tactics
- Accidents and weather changes during qualifying
Simulating or playing the qualifying sessions manually - what to choose?
Contrary to practice, you should not simulate qualifications, but always try to play them manually. Making the right decisions in qualifying will allow you to choose optimal rides further on. It is not guaranteed if you rely on the simulation.
Remember that you can save the game between each part of qualifications. So, for example, if you fail in Q2 or Q3, there will be no obligation to repeat the entire qualifications to improve the result.
Q1, Q2 and Q3 rules
The qualifying is divided into 3 parts:
- Q1 - 20 drivers participate in the qualifications. At the end of the session, the 5 slowest cars go out.
- Q2 - 15 drivers participate in the qualifications. At the end of the session, the 5 slowest cars go out.
- Q3 - 10 drivers take part in the qualifications and they fight for their final positions at the start of the race.
There are no qualifying sprints in F1 Manager 2022. In real life, race sprints appeared for the first time in 2021. In 2022, they appear in several races. All qualifications in the game are played on "classic" rules.
Recommended universal qualifying tactics
The most important element of qualifying is choosing the perfect moment to go to the track. If you do so, your drivers will not have to pass drivers from weaker teams and those in the middle of laps. In F1 Manager 2022 there are unfortunately a lot of problems with slower cars and you can "get stuck" behind them or waste a lot of time overtaking them.
In qualifying, you can activate a strategic view with a traffic forecast on the track (gray color on the chart). Use it to establish the perfect moment to leave for the track, i.e. when most drivers are in the pit. This varies a bit depending on the qualification and the track, but usually a good time to go in Q1 and Q2 is around 6-7 minutes before the end of the session. In Q3, it is around 4-5 minutes before the end of the session.
If your timing turns out to be good, the blue field on the graph will be within the area of little track traffic. This will allow your drivers to focus solely on completing the lap with good results and not having to pay attention to other cars.
In qualifying, you always need to ask yourself two other questions:
- How many times to go on the track? - One run is enough if you feel confident, but unforeseen situations (described in the next section) may prevent you from having the lap registered. It may also be safer to start early in the session and do an extra timed lap.
- Which tires to choose? - If you are leading a strong F1 team, you can choose the harder mixes in Q1 and Q2, because the chances of getting qualified will still be high. When leading a weaker team, keep choosing the soft mix starting from Q1.
Accidents and weather changes during qualifying
There are two things that may interrupt you during qualifications and which can result in poor statistics or being eliminated early in Q1/Q2:
Variable weather conditions - you have to be very careful in races where any rainfall is predicted. After the session starts, keep an eye on the forecast in the strategic view:
- If weather conditions are going to get worse (e.g. heavy rain), then try to manage the measured lap.
- If the conditions are to improve (e.g. rain getting weaker or stopping completely), wait before going to the track. Depending on the conditions, either go for medium tires or try slicks.
Accidents resulting in yellow and red flags - these are things that cannot be predicted (unlike weather). Yellow and red flags can ruin your departure and, in extreme cases, prevent you from completing another measured lap. This is one of the reasons why you should set any time in the early part of a qualifying session. This way, you might avoid a situation where you'll run out of time and will be eliminated.