F1 23: Complete Driving & Career Guide

A practical guide to EA Sports F1 23 in 2026: game status and availability, modes, assists and handling, setups, ERS and tyre strategy, Career/My Team tips, Braking Point 2 and F1 World.

Researched September 2026 — current as of F1 23's final release build (the game is delisted and no longer receives new content). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status (September 2026): F1 23 (released 16 June 2023, with Champions Edition early access from 13 June) is no longer sold on Steam. The store page now says "F1® 23 is no longer available on the Steam store." If you already own it, you can still download and play it. The series has moved on to F1 25, whose 2026 Season Pack / 2026 Season Edition launched 8 June 2026 with the 2026 regulations, Audi and Cadillac, Overtake mode and the MADRING circuit. If you want current-season cars and an active online community, buy F1 25. The game needs an EA account, and online features depend on EA's servers, so check EA's service-updates page for any retirement notice before you rely on multiplayer or F1 World.

Quick Start

• Start with assists on and turn them off one at a time. Good order: racing line → braking assist → ABS → traction control (Medium, then Off).
• Pick the right race length. F1 23 added a 35% race distance option, a good balance of strategy and time.
• Use Time Trial to learn tracks. Ghosts show you braking points.
• Tyre temperature matters as much as wear. Overheated rears cause wheelspin and snap oversteer.
• Manage ERS. Use Overtake mode on straights where you're attacking or defending, and recharge through corners.
• Red flags are back (for the first time since F1 2014). A red flag gives you a free tyre change, which can flip strategy.
• Precision Drive is F1 23's controller handling tech. Controller players benefit from smoother steering input, so try it before switching to a wheel.
• Pick your mode: Braking Point 2 (story), Career/Driver Career, My Team (build your own team), F1 World (progression hub), Grand Prix, Time Trial and online multiplayer.

Game Modes

Mode | What it is | Best for

Braking Point 2 | Story mode spanning the 2022–2023 seasons with Aiden Jackson, Devon Butler and new F2 champion Callie Mayer at Konnersport | Players who want narrative

Driver Career | One driver, one team; upgrade the car via R&D | Solo realism

My Team | Run your own 11th team as owner-driver: facilities, staff, R&D | Management fans

F1 World | Hub with an upgradeable car, hireable staff, Safety Rating and a Podium Pass | Progression-driven play

Grand Prix / Championships | Custom one-off races and seasons | Casual play

Time Trial | Hot laps against ghosts and leaderboards | Practice

Multiplayer | Online races, leagues and 2-player career | Racing friends

Tracks

F1 23 includes the full 2023 calendar, headlined by the new Las Vegas Strip Circuit. It also includes Qatar's Lusail International Circuit, and keeps circuits that weren't on the 2023 schedule, such as Imola (cancelled that year), Circuit Paul Ricard, Shanghai International Circuit and Algarve International Circuit (Portimão).

Assists and Settings

Assist | Recommendation

Racing line | Corners only or off once you know the track

Braking assist | Off as early as possible, since it slows you a lot

ABS | Keep it on while learning; off is faster only if you can trail-brake without locking

Traction control | Full → Medium → Off; Medium is a good controller compromise

Gearbox | Manual is faster, but Automatic is fine for learning

Pit assist / ERS assist | Turn them off once you're managing ERS yourself

Controller settings: lower steering saturation and add a small deadzone if the car feels twitchy. Precision Drive already smooths inputs, so test before you tune a lot.

Setup Basics

Setup menus: Aerodynamics, Transmission (differential), Suspension Geometry (camber/toe), Suspension (springs, anti-roll bars, ride height), Brakes and Tyres (pressures).

Problem | Try

Understeer in slow corners | Softer front anti-roll bar; more front wing

Oversteer on corner exit | Lower on-throttle differential; less rear camber; lower rear tyre pressure

Too slow on straights | Lower wing angles (high-speed tracks like Monza and Las Vegas)

Tyres overheating | Lower tyre pressures; less aggressive camber

Unstable under braking | Move brake bias slightly forward; lower brake pressure if you lock up

Start from a preset like "Balanced", then change one thing at a time and test over 3–5 laps.

ERS, Fuel and Tyres

ERS deploy modes: None, Medium, Hotlap and Overtake. In races, run Medium by default, and switch to Overtake on the straights where you attack or defend. Hotlap drains the battery quickly and is meant for qualifying laps.

Fuel mix: Lean saves fuel, Standard is normal, and Rich adds power. Under-fueling (starting light and running Lean in places) is a common tactic, but track your fuel delta.

Tyres: Soft (fast, short life), Medium, Hard (durable), Intermediate (damp) and Wet (heavy rain).

• Warm the tyres gently on the formation and out laps.
• Keep rear tyres cool by feeding in the throttle out of slow corners.
• In changing weather, watch the track wetness and pit a lap early rather than late.

Strategy: a one-stop (Medium → Hard) is typical on many tracks at 35–50% distance. Safety cars, VSCs and red flags offer cheaper pit stops, so pit under them when the timing fits.

Starts, Safety Cars and Wet Races

• Starts: hold the revs in the target zone the game shows and release the clutch cleanly when the lights go out. Too many revs means wheelspin; too few and you bog down. Practise a few starts in Grand Prix mode before a big race.
• Turn 1: most crashes happen here. Brake a little earlier than normal on lap 1, because cold tyres and a full fuel load stretch your braking distance.
• Safety Car and VSC: keep your delta positive and don't overtake. These are cheap windows to pit if you were within a few laps of your planned stop.
• Red flags: everyone gets a free tyre change in the pit lane, so a planned one-stop can become a no-stop. Rethink your strategy the moment the flag comes out.
• Wet races: Intermediates on a damp track, full Wets only in heavy rain. Stay off painted kerbs and white lines, short-shift out of corners, and move your braking points earlier.
• Drying track: the dry racing line appears first. When your Intermediates start overheating on the straights, it's time to think about slicks.

Driver Career and My Team

• Practice programmes (track acclimatization, tyre management, ERS management, qualifying pace, race strategy and so on) earn Resource Points for R&D. Always run them in practice.
• R&D priority: for most teams, aerodynamics and powertrain first, then chassis, then durability.
• Contract talks: in Driver Career, good results raise your standing and unlock better teams.
• My Team: balance facility upgrades with the car. Hire a second driver who matches your budget, and don't let department morale collapse.
• 2-player career lets you and a friend share a season, online or in split-screen on supported platforms.

Braking Point 2 Tips

• Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler are teammates at Konnersport, joined by Callie Mayer. Chapters have specific goals (finish ahead of X, recover positions and so on). Read the objective before each session.
• Difficulty is adjustable. Drop it if a chapter blocks your progress, since the story is the point.
• The story continues directly from F1 2021's Braking Point, but you can follow it without playing that.

F1 World

• Your F1 World car levels up through upgrades earned by playing events. Tech Level decides which events you can enter.
• Safety Rating tracks clean driving online. Keep it high for better lobbies.
• Staff give bonuses. Podium Pass seasons add cosmetic rewards. PitCoin is the premium currency for cosmetics only.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Turning off all assists at once. You'll be slower until you adapt.
• Flooring it out of hairpins. Rear wheelspin burns tyres and costs time.
• Ignoring tyre temps. Wear is only half the story.
• Running Overtake ERS all lap. You'll have nothing left when it matters.
• Skipping practice programmes in Career. They're your R&D income.
• Buying F1 23 new in 2026. It's delisted on Steam. For the current season, F1 25 plus the 2026 Season Pack is the maintained title.

Advanced Tips

• Trail braking: release the brake gradually while turning in to rotate the car. This matters most with ABS off.
• Short-shift out of slow corners in the wet to limit wheelspin.
• Defend smartly: use ERS on the straight rather than weaving. Excessive blocking brings penalties.
• Tow and DRS: set up a slipstream a corner before the DRS zone for a bigger overtake.
• Qualifying: do a charging lap, then a push lap with Hotlap ERS.

FAQ

Can I still buy F1 23? Not on Steam. It's been delisted. Owners can still download and play it.

Does F1 23 have the 2024+ season? No. It covers the 2023 season. F1 24 and F1 25 (with the 2026 Season Pack) cover later seasons.

Is F1 23 online multiplayer still working? We couldn't confirm a shutdown date for F1 23's online services when this guide was researched, so don't assume either way. Offline modes (Career, My Team, Braking Point 2, Grand Prix, split-screen) don't depend on multiplayer servers, though online leaderboards, F1 World's online events and the Podium Pass do. Check EA's service-updates page before organising a league.

Does F1 23 support VR? Yes. The Steam listing includes VR support.

What was new in F1 23? Revised handling physics, Precision Drive, red flags, a 35% race distance option, an online Safety Rating, Braking Point 2, F1 World, the Las Vegas and Qatar (Lusail) circuits, and a choice between a licensed soundtrack and an orchestral score.

Is there split-screen? Yes, with 2-player modes on supported platforms.

Do I need an EA account? Yes. The Steam version requires an EA account and uses Denuvo.

Sources

• F1 23 on Steam (delisted notice)
• F1 23 on Wikipedia
• F1 23 Steam news (F1 25 2026 Season Edition announcement)
• EA online service updates