F1 2015: Complete Guide (Modes, Setup, Racecraft and 2026 Status)

Everything you need to get the most out of Codemasters' F1 2015 today: its availability, what the modes actually offer, assists and setups, racecraft for the AI, and how to keep it running with modern wheels and PCs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC patch (February 3, 2016) and Linux port (May 26, 2016). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Availability in 2026

• Delisted: The Steam store page now shows "F1 2015 is no longer available on the Steam store." Codemasters' officially licensed F1 games leave sale after their license period ends. If you already own it, it stays in your library and can be installed and played.
• Platforms: Windows (July 9, 2015), PS4, Xbox One, and Linux/SteamOS via Feral Interactive (May 26, 2016).
• Reputation: Mixed. Steam reviews sit around 52% positive (Mixed), Metacritic scores were 61 on PC, 65 on PS4 and 64 on Xbox One, and critics praised the new engine and handling while criticizing the lack of a career mode and aggressive AI.
• Online: Multiplayer exists (lobbies, quick matches and online practice/qualifying sessions), but player counts for a delisted 2015 game are very low. Plan to race offline or organize lobbies with friends.

If you just want the most current F1 experience, the newer yearly Codemasters/EA F1 titles are where the online community is. F1 2015 is worth playing for its 2015 and 2014 grids and its cleaner, focused racing.

Quick Start

• There is no traditional career mode. You pick a real 2015 driver and race a season; you do not create your own driver or sign contracts. That was the game's biggest criticism.
• Start with Championship Season to learn tracks with assists, then move to Pro Season once you are confident.
• Pro Season is hardcore: no HUD and no assists. Treat it as the endgame challenge.
• Turn on the racing line and ABS-style braking assist at first, then remove assists one at a time.
• Traction control is the hardest assist to drop. Go from full to medium before off; the 2015 hybrid cars have massive low-speed torque.
• Use a controller or wheel with proper deadzones. The physics-based handling model is more sensitive than earlier F1 games.
• Qualify properly. Track position matters because the AI is aggressive in the first laps.
• Try the 2014 season. It is a full bonus season with the 2014 cars and drivers.
• Enable Strict corner cutting if you want clean racing; the February 2016 patch made it even stricter.

Game Modes

Mode | What it is | Who it's for

Championship Season | A full 2015 season as a real driver, with customizable session lengths and assists. | Everyone; the main mode.

Pro Season | Full season with no HUD and no assists, designed as the ultimate test. | Experienced players.

Quick Race | Single race weekend or race only, on any track with any car. | Learning a track, casual sessions.

Time Trial | Hot laps against ghosts and leaderboards. | Learning braking points and setups.

2014 Season | Bonus content with the 2014 grid and cars. | Fans of that year, variety.

Online | Multiplayer races and an Online Practice Session to hone your pace before racing. | Friends or organized lobbies.

The 2014 bonus season

The 2014 content is a complete championship, not a handful of cars: every 2014 driver, car and circuit is included, which gives you two tracks and a team the 2015 season lacks, the Hockenheimring and Caterham. It is the only way to race Hockenheim in this game.

Achievements

There are 45 Steam achievements. Check the in-game or Steam list before starting a long season so you know which ones need specific modes or settings, rather than discovering it after a full championship.

Console extras

On PS4 and Xbox One you can talk to your race engineer with voice recognition (for example, asking for race information).

Driving and Assists

Assists explained

Assist | What it does | When to turn it off

Racing line | Shows the ideal line and braking zones. | Once you know the track; switch to "corners only" as a middle step.

Braking assist / ABS | Prevents lock-ups. | After you learn trail-braking and threshold braking.

Traction control | Limits wheelspin on throttle. | Last. Go full, then medium, then off.

Automatic gears | Handles shifts. | Manual is faster once you learn to short-shift out of slow corners.

Pit lane control (if shown in your assist menu) | Automates the car in the pit lane. | Keep it on in offline races; there is little to gain from turning it off.

Handling fundamentals

• Brake in a straight line, turn in as you release. The cars carry so much downforce at high speed that you can brake later than you think, but slow corners punish lock-ups.
• Be patient on throttle out of hairpins. Wheelspin with low traction control is the number one cause of spins.
• Kerbs: Low, flat kerbs are usable; sausage or high kerbs upset the car. Learn which ones per track in Time Trial.
• Tyre temperature and wear: Pushing too hard overheats tyres. If the car suddenly slides in mid-race, you have overworked the rears.

Setups

The setup menu lets you tune the car's aerodynamics, suspension, brakes and related areas, or pick a preset. Exact options are simpler than in later F1 games, so apply the principles below to whatever sliders you see.

Starting points

Track type | Aero | Suspension/ride height | Examples of this style

High downforce | High front and rear wing | Softer, more compliant | Monaco, Hungary, Singapore

Balanced | Medium wings | Medium | Most of the calendar

Low downforce | Low wings | Stiffer, lower | Monza, Spa (for the long straights)

Tuning rules of thumb

• Understeer in slow corners: add front wing or soften the front anti-roll bar.
• Oversteer on exit: soften the rear or add rear wing, and be gentler with the throttle.
• Too slow on straights: reduce wing angles, then check you are not losing too much in corners.
• Brake bias: move it rearward if the fronts lock, forward if the car snaps under braking.
• Change one thing at a time and test it in Time Trial.

Race Weekends and Strategy

• Session length: You can choose shortened weekends or full distance. Short races compress strategy but keep tyre choice relevant.
• Tyres: 2015 used Pirelli dry compounds from hard to super-soft (two per weekend), plus intermediates and full wets. Softer is faster but wears faster.
• Pit stops: Follow the engineer's suggested window at first; later, learn to undercut (pit earlier than the car ahead and use fresh tyres to jump them).
• Weather: Rain changes everything. Switch to intermediates as soon as the dry tyres stop gripping and the racing line is wet.
• Penalties: Corner cutting and collisions are penalized. Strict rules are tougher since the February 2016 patch.

Dealing with the AI

Critics called the AI overly aggressive, and it is especially tense on lap 1.

• Leave space on the opening lap. Most early crashes come from the pack; give room and pass them later.
• Defend once, then commit. Weaving draws penalties and invites contact.
• Pass on the exit, not the entry. A better exit from a slow corner sets up an easy DRS or slipstream pass.
• Adjust AI difficulty in small steps. If you are winning by a lot, raise it a notch; if you are last, lower it rather than switching off assists.

Wheels and Hardware

• Supported wheels include Logitech and Thrustmaster models of the era; the February 2016 patch added the Thrustmaster T-150 and SimXperience AccuForce.
• Modern wheels: Newer direct-drive wheels may not have native profiles. Many work through generic DirectInput mapping; set rotation and force feedback in the wheel's own software first.
• Telemetry: The same patch fixed RPM and flag data over UDP for external dashboards and gauges.
• Controllers: Increase steering deadzone slightly and reduce steering saturation/linearity if the car feels twitchy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Expecting a career mode. It isn't here; think of the game as season and race modes.
• Dropping every assist at once. You will spin constantly. Remove one at a time.
• Using someone else's setup blindly. Setups are specific to input device and driving style.
• Racing the first corner. You cannot win the race at Turn 1, but you can lose it.
• Ignoring the Online Practice Session before online racing; it exists to get you up to speed.

Advanced Tips

• Time Trial is the best teacher. Race a ghost of your best lap and learn one corner at a time.
• Short-shift out of slow corners to reduce wheelspin with low traction control.
• Try Pro Season only after winning Championship Season on a high AI difficulty without assists.
• Use the 2014 season to learn tracks from the previous year's calendar.
• Keep a notebook of braking markers per track if you are going to race without the racing line.

FAQ

Can I still buy F1 2015? Not on Steam; the store page says it is no longer available. Owners can still download it.

Does F1 2015 have a career mode? No. It has Championship Season and Pro Season, where you race as an existing driver.

What is Pro Season? A full season with no HUD and no assists, meant as a hardcore challenge.

Does it include the 2014 season? Yes, the full 2014 championship is playable as bonus content.

Is multiplayer still active? It is technically present, but finding random opponents is unlikely. Organize races with friends.

Does it run on Linux? Yes, Feral Interactive released a Linux and SteamOS version in May 2016.

Sources

• F1 2015 on Steam
• F1 2015 Steam news (patch notes, Linux release)
• F1 2015 — Wikipedia
• F1 2015 Steam achievements