F1 22 how to do race start

This year’s Formula 1 driving ace is out, but if you’re struggling then you might need the pointers in our F1 22 how to do race start guide. We’ll talk you through the main button controls you need to press to do the start in general, as well as giving you some tips on set off, getting to the first corner in good shape and setup variation.

Once you get the hang of things, it’s far from the toughest element of F1 22 and then you can focus on landing the corners and pulling off the overtakes to climb up the field. Getting the race start won’t necessarily mean that you podium more often, but it will give you a strong footing to build on the aspects of the racing game.

The opening sections of the guide will be directed at the general points for beginner and intermediate drivers. If, however, you’re a no assists racer looking for a little extra off the starting grid, the final section will cover some of the things to consider.

What you need to do to start a race

Whether you’ve gone through quali and been awarded your position or you’ve just jumped straight into an F1 22 solo Grand Prix, you’ll find yourself on the starting grid. However, it’s not just a case of pressing the accelerator as soon as the lights go out, because you need to build up revs to be able to get a stall free start.

To be able to do this, you need to hold down the clutch, and the button you need to press for this will be displayed on the screen. You can go into the controller/wheel settings to change this at any time, to bind it to whatever button works for you, but for PlayStation consoles it’s X as standard and for Xbox controllers its A.

With the clutch pressed down, you can then start to build up revs by gradually pressing the accelerator. What you’re aiming for is a good amount of throttle without it topping out (when all of the lights on your dash display are maxed out and you car is revving like crazy).

Again, you can change the accelerator button in the settings, but for PlayStation it’s R2 and for Xbox its RT. If you’ve got a wheel and pedal setup then it’s obviously the accelerator pedal on the right.

Keep it at this level with the clutch held down to stop you from taking off and watch for the lights to go out, which is your cue to go. The best light to watch it the very last one on the right, which gives you a good focal point.

As soon as the lights go out, you want to to stop holding down the clutch button and you’re free to start racing. Like we mentioned above, if you’re playing with assists off then there are a number of subtle and not so subtle nuances to take into account, but for everyone else that should tell you how to do a race start.

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Getting to the first corner after the race starts

If you’re playing with assists on then getting to the first corner is a whole lot easier, so for the most part it’s all about consistent acceleration and getting your nose where you need it to be. Try to keep a consistent line that only veers gradually in the direction that you’re aiming for if you want to move over.

The worst thing that you can do is weave too quickly and cause a crash that will end you Grand Prix. The good thing is that you can practice this over and over again by simply restarting the session from the Pause Menu, giving you a chance to iron out the kinks in your approach.

If you’re on the outside of the track for the first corner of the race after the start then you might want to try to gradually move over to the inside line if there’s room. This is a slightly risky strategy, but if you’re careful then it can be done.

If you stay on the outside then keep your line and try to get to the apex of the corner before the car alongside you on the grid, but break in time to prevent you from hitting the car in front. Gradually turn into the apex after you’ve hit the breaks and try to stay on the outside because moving in at this stage is a sure fire recipe for disaster.

If you’re then on a straight after the corner, it’s just a case of accelerating out of it and hitting the racing line to prepare for the next corner. However, if turn 2 is close to the first then you should have the inside line on this and can press the advantage a little.

If you approach the first corner on the inside line the same tips as the outside apply. The only difference is that if there’s a second corner after it then you’ll need to be a little more aggressive if you want to stop the car next to you from overtaking.

The impact of setup on race starts

In F1 22 it doesn’t make any sense to set up your car for the race start alone, but there are a few things that you can take into account. Firstly, on the general settings, choosing the max speed option won’t be the best for the initial take off, but if its a long straight to the first corner then it can pay off in the end.

If you want to modify the setup then the main consideration is a trade off of grip versus top speed potential. Having more grip using higher aerodynamic settings, more locked differential and lower pressure tires means that you’ll get a better initial start.

The expense of this will be straight line speed, so again if there’s a long run to turn 1 then you’ll end up losing the race to the apex. Try to think about the setup in terms of both the start of the race and the overall track layout.

For example, in Spain where there’s a long straight to the first corner and only 16 turns in total, and a chunky amount of straights, you might opt for more straight line speed. You can do this by either choosing Preset 5 or playing around with lower aero, unlocked diff and higher tire pressures.

A good way to check what approach you should go for is to check out the details for each of the tracks in the Time Trial mode. You’ll get a map to review, which will show you the start line proximity to turn 1, as well as details on how many corners there are and the size of the straights in comparison.

No assists starts

In general, the very start of the start is pretty much the same as discussed above. However, with no assists, you need to be more gradual with everything, starting off with the acceleration. You can’t just smash it and hope for the best, instead you need to depress acceleration gradually like you would do on a car to prevent you from spinning out.

Its a similar story with turning. If you move over while accelerating when the revs are too high then you’ll spin, so it’s all about getting more of a gradual feel for things. Racing with a controller versus a wheel can result in this being particularly difficult due to stick drift. If you get this then you might want to give yourself a little extra steering deadzone in the calibration settings page to compensate for it.

One pro tip for controlling acceleration with no assists in F1 22 is to short shift. This is essentially when you change up to the next gear before you hear the revs getting too high. With earlier changes to higher gears you’ll have much fewer occasions of too much throttle and not enough control.

No assists is far better suited to wheel and pedal gameplay, because it’s easier to control smooth movements and acceleration. Controlling how much you press the trigger button on a controller takes a lot of getting used to, but with a pedal it’s something that you already do most days if you drive a car in real life.

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