Hey Team Principals!

We hope that, like us, you've been enjoying a thrilling 2024 Formula One season so far.

Back at HQ, we've been hard at work on a significant upgrade package to take you to the front of the grid as we head towards Abu Dhabi. Update 1.9 contains a host of new features designed to enhance the realism and expand upon the information gathering and the endless drive for progress which is critical in ensuring teams make the right calls to take them to the top.

Alongside these new features, this update also contains a substantial suite of rebalancing and fixes, improving the experience for both PC and Console players.

Learn more about the new features in our recent blog post.

Please keep sharing your feedback and any issues observed with us in the Issue Tracker.

New Pit Lane Starts

• Pit lane starts now fully supported for player and AI teams based on real-world regulations
• Principals will be prompted before making a change that break Parc fermé rules and incur a pit lane start

New Driver Development

• Principals can now focus drivers into three new distinct areas of development in order to use their skills to benefit your team
• This is also applicable to affiliate drivers, giving extra reason and purpose to make use of affiliate positions

New Team Suitability

• Added new "Team Suitability" rating uncovered when scouting staff and drivers to help inform hiring decisions
• The rating consider a variety of factors and results are dynamic dependent on the context

New Contract Rumours

• Added new email content providing insight into negotiations and hiring happening elsewhere on the grid

Stability & Performance

• Prevented saves reaching critical file size, leading to corruption (console only)
• In cases where there is a risk of save file corruption, additional protections have been implemented. The option to 'Restart Season' will be removed in order to mitigate this risk.
• Fixed crash that could occur during processing
• Fixed crash that could occur when confirming sponsor plans in quick succession
• Fixed crash that could occur at the end of the Australian GP during a long play session
• Improved performance when team HQ background is present (Nintendo Switch Only)

Updated Powertrain Costs

• Updated powertrain cost balance
• Changed powertain payment structure to monthly from annual
• Updated finances screen to accurately reflect costs

Finances

• Fixed occurrence of mandatory activities not paying out at the end of the sponsor period
• Fixed occurrence of DHL Fastest Pit Stop prize money not being paid
• Fixed occurrence of cost to break contracts not being charged
• Updated Finances help screen to reflect monthly payment structure for board and prize money

Contracts & Hiring

• Fixed Hamilton not going to Ferrari at the start of Season 2
• Added positive and negative opinion considerations to the driver and staff contract negotiation process
• Updated email content when player staff/drivers are approached by other teams
• Fixed counter offer reminder email not sending when counter offer is received and left unresponded on day of deadline
• Fixed Staff Changes email displaying incorrect contract info
• Fixed Accepted Contract email displaying incorrect cost to hire
• Fixed Team Roster Update email including incorrect contract info
• Fixed Staff Poached emails displaying contract length as 0
• Fixed incorrectly displayed affiliate contract length in Affiliates Overview panel
• Fixed incorrect or missing cost to break contract for immediate start dates
• Fixed the empty reaction window when a contract offer results in a negative reaction

Team Management

• Fixed 'One for the Future' achievement not being awarded after signing an affiliate with an offer deadline of 7 days
• Improved AI regulation voting logic
• Fixed issue preventing player continuing with their current team after selecting to switch team having not been fired
• Fixed Car Performance Overall Ranking not aligning with individual attribute rankings
• Fixed engineers not returning after Design Centre fire dilemma
• Fixed engineer increase not applying correctly after Design Centre Improvement email
• Fixed "Best Driver Position" in End of Season Board Review not considering drivers who left during the season
• Fixed board attending grand prix after selecting 'Deny' in 'Board Attendance at Grand Prix' email
• Fixed issue where an affiliate driver could be selected for both cars 

Race Weekend

• Players will now see the Results page after simulating a Sprint session
• Fixed cars not attempting to unlap themselves during a race
• Fixed incorrect classification of drivers who DNF on the last lap ahead of other lapped cars
• Fixed driver and constructor standings shown during race weekend not including previous sprint race points
• Fixed 'DRS Enabled' notification displaying at beginning of practise & qualifying sessions in wet track conditions
• Fixed driver entering pit at end of flying lap when taking manual control during qualifying
• Fixed  fastest lap being awarded to a driver who retires on lap 1
• Fixed Track Acclimitisation resetting to 0% after loading a mid-session save
• Fixed loss of focus when navigating to the 'Car Set Up' during Qualifying
• Fixed timing tower losing coloured border after opening menus during a yellow or red flag event
• Fixed the data view snapping to top when scrolling down during a race
• Fixed affiliate drivers having no position shown in their Driver Panel after setting lap times in practise
• Fixed full screen map briefly showing blurry textures
• Fixed rear lights on cars not turning on during a race
• Fixed cars sometimes appearing to not touch the track
• Fixed Create-A-Team cars clipping through safety car

Circuits

• Albert Park: Fixed cars driving over the kerb on pit entry
• Austin: Adjusted cars' speed out of pit lane and into turn 1
• Hermanos Rodriguez: Fixed missing and incorrectly positioned cars in team garages
• Las Vegas: Fixed incorrectly placed 2nd DRS Zone
• Monaco: Fixed rare instance of safety car blocking pit exit
• Shanghai: Fixed incorrect pit lane marker
• Suzuka Fixed possibility of cars going through the barrier on Turn 2

Create a Team

• Improved balance when randomising generated staff when beginning a new 'Create a Team' career
• Fixed car livery model colour not being consistent with colour selected in UI
• Fixed incorrect starting budget being displayed for 'Your Story' origin
• Fixed incorrectly categorised livery sponsors
• Removed duplicate 'Team Name' header from the Team Branding menu
• Removed 'Undo' button when no changes present to undo

Presentation

• Fixed Charles Leclerc's career history not showing for 2022 and 2023
• Fixed Jack Doohan's career history not showing for 2022
• Fixed Ayumu Iwasa's career history not showing for 2022
• Fixed incorrect race distance listed for Las Vegas and Qatar in the Circuits screen
• Fixed the monthly affiliates development email not showing affiliates signed in the previous season
• Fixed missing text in Design Centre Improvement email
• Fixed the Seasons Remaining value showing '-1' in the Mid-Season Board Review
• Fixing 'Engine Cooling' not being displayed as a Negative Effect of sidepod and chassis damage
• Improved logic prompting notifications in UI
• Fixed cancelled projects still incrementing the part number
• Various UI improvements to the Facilities screen
• Various corrections to strings and formatting
• Updated Race Replay difficulty indicators