Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
More Football Manager than straight high-octane racing sim, F1 Manager 2022 tasks you with channeling your inner Guenther Steiner (or, maybe you’re more the steely resolve of Toto Wolff) and puts you at the helm of an entire F1 team.
But, which F1 Manager 2022 team should you pick first? Real-world preference will likely push many players towards their favorite team, but if you’re still unsure which team to take on first, we’re here to help.
READ MORE: F1 Manager 2022: release date, early access and more
Tips for Choosing Your Starting F1 Manager 2022 Team
Challenge
True to virtually all sports management games under the sun, F1 Manager 22 doesn’t allow you to tweak the difficulty level of the game. Each team has unique season-long ambitious coupled with long-term objectives. How difficult they are to achieve depends on the stats assigned to each team, which will cover in more detail later on.
By way of example, McLaren and Alpine both have their sights set on a fourth place in the Constructor’s Championship. Due to Alpine having a bigger starting budget along with superior drivers, cars, and staff to McLaren, it will likely be easier to to finish fourth if you start your run with Alphine.
On the other hand, if you fancy a challenge, then a bottom table team like Williams or Haas may be a better pick. They start with low stats, requiring your run to last several seasons as you chart a journey from underfunded underdog to a dominant force on the track.
Career Length
Sports management sims are long and complex games that require a major time investment, so it’s worth considering how much time you’re willing or want to sink into F1 Manager 2022 leading your team to glory.
Much like Football Manager, you don’t need to have a say in every decision on and off the track, but F1 Manager 2022 truly hits its stride when you embrace the intense, in-depth aspects of the game.
If your short on time, choosing a top-tier team such as Red Bull, Ferrari, or Mercedes, allows you to vie for podiums and wins from the get-go, allowing you to speed through the deeper micro-management elements.
Conversely, if time is on your side and you willing to be patient, a marathon run bringing a team like Williams back to its former glory, where decisions carry more weight and winning takes work, may be a better option.
READ MORE: F1 Manager 2022 announced and coming this Summer to Xbox, PlayStation and PC
F1 Manager 2022 Team Stats
Here, you’ll find a breakdown of the starting stats for all 10 teams in F1 Manager 2022.
Glancing over them gives you a chance to compare and contrast the overall quality of specifics like cars, staff, drivers, headquarters, and budget along with what each team’s board expect from you at the end of the first season. Lower stats tend to signal a bigger challenger, while better stats generally mean an easier ride.
Mercedes
- Team Rating – 5/5
- Season Objective – 3rd
- Long-Term Objective – Constructor’s Champion
- Starting Balance – High
- Car Performance – 3rd
- Driver Performance – 1st
- Staff Performance – 3rd
- Headquarters Quality – 2nd
Red Bull
- Team Rating – 4.5/5
- Season Objective – 1st
- Long-Term Objective – Constructor’s Champion
- Starting Balance – High
- Car Performance – 2nd
- Driver Performance – 2nd
- Staff Performance – 2nd
- Headquarters Quality – 1st
Ferrari
- Team Rating – 4.1/5
- Season Objective – 1st
- Long-Term Objective – Constructor’s Champion
- Starting Balance – High
- Car Performance – 1st
- Driver Performance – 3rd
- Staff Performance – 1st
- Headquarters Quality – 3rd
McLaren
- Team Rating – 3.8/5
- Season Objective – 4th
- Long-Term Objective – Constructor’s Champion
- Starting Balance – Medium
- Car Performance – 8th
- Driver Performance – 5th
- Staff Performance – 6th
- Headquarters Quality – 4th
Alpine
- Team Rating – 3/5
- Season Objective – 4th
- Long-Term Objective – Constructor’s Champion
- Starting Balance – High
- Car Performance – 5th
- Driver Performance – 4th
- Staff Performance – 4th
- Headquarters Quality – 8th
AlphaTauri
- Team Rating – 2.5/5
- Season Objective – 6th
- Long-Term Objective – Podium Contender
- Starting Balance – Medium
- Car Performance – 6th
- Driver Performance – 8th
- Staff Performance – 8th
- Headquarters Quality – 6th
Aston Martin
- Team Rating – 2.6/5
- Season Objective – 8th
- Long-Term Objective – Points Contender
- Starting Balance – High
- Car Performance – 9th
- Driver Performance – 7th
- Staff Performance – 10th
- Headquarters Quality – 5th
Williams
- Team Rating – 2.3/5
- Season Objective – 9th
- Long-Term Objective – Points Contender
- Starting Balance – Low
- Car Performance – 10th
- Driver Performance – 9th
- Staff Performance – 9th
- Headquarters Quality – 7th
Alfa Romeo
- Team Rating – 2.2/5
- Season Objective – 5th
- Long-Term Objective – Podium Contender
- Starting Balance – Low
- Car Performance – 4th
- Driver Performance – 6th
- Staff Performance – 7th
- Headquarters Quality – 9th
Haas
- Team Rating – 2.1/5
- Season Objective – 6th
- Long-Term Objective – Podium Contender
- Starting Balance – Low
- Car Performance – 7th
- Driver Performance – 10th
- Staff Performance – 5th
- Headquarters Quality – 10th
The Best F1 Manager 2022 Team For You?
There’s no right or wrong team to start your first play-through of F1 Manager 2022. Your choice will depend on what type of challenge you’re looking for, how much time you want to sink into the game, and whether you want to play as your favorite real-world team or not.
If this is your first time playing a sports management sim, or if the thought of crawling through a dozen seasons before grabbing your first trophy sounds like a drag, consider playing a strong team like Mercedes or Ferrari.
They have some of the strongest stats in the game – drivers, headquarters, staff, and cars. Mercedes’ board is only gunning for third-place in the Constructor’s Championship, which given the pedigree of their drivers and massive budget, shouldn’t be too hard to attain at all.
For a seasoned management sim player up for a real challenge, sign up to lead Williams or Haas. Settle in and enjoy the ride, it’ll be a bumpy one.
