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FAQ Guide to Formula 1 2001
Console: Playstation 1
Version 1.3
By: Myst (Adam Testaz) E-mail: adam11184@hotmail.com Web Site: http://misc.8m.com/
Last updated: August 18, 2001
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Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Revision History
3. Introduction and Controls
4. Graphics and Sound
5. Teams and Drivers
6. Tracks
7. Game Modes
8. Race Strategies and Tips
9. Credits
10. E-mail Policy
11. Copyright
Hello and welcome to my FAQ on Formula 1 2001 for Playstation 1. This is my FAQ ever so
please be patient with me if I break an FAQ code or something, it is a learning activity.
I decided to write a FAQ on this game because no one else will! I have been searching the
net for a while now, since it was released, on ANYTHING for this game and not one thing
came up. The only stuff you will find on it is at its official web site,
http://www.scee.com/f1/ - and that still doesn't give away any great details, just a few
average tips I suppose. So basically, I am trying to give the people like me out there,
who want something on this game, a little bit of help ;)
Always feel free to e-mail with any small pieces of information about the game. You will
be acknowledged!
Anyways, enough with the chit chat, let's get down to business.
August 18, 2001
Version 1.3
- It has been a busy week so not many updates have been done. Just added two more websites at
the bottom of this page so you can find my FAQ elsewhere as well.
- Started the Game Modes section
August 2, 2001
Version 1.0
- Started the FAQ.
- Added in all the titles of each section.
- Wrote the Introduction, Copyright, E-mail policy, and credits sections.
No doubt at one stage or the other you have played a formula one game, or maybe you are
new to them. Anyway, here is a brief history of formula one games since 1997, about when
they started to take off. Formula 1 '97 for the Playstation, some would say, was and
still is the best F1 game ever released and in some ways I agree with them. To this day,
F1 '97 portraits the most accurate characteristics of an F1 car I have seen. For example,
if you clipped your front wing on the rear of the car in front you would surely lose it
your handling would become poor. In the more modern games you can sometimes go backwards,
have a head on with another car, and occasionally escape unharmed. For me, this is too
inaccurate, that is why I like this game. The only weak point it had was poor graphics
and sound and that there was no safety car and rules such as a short cut.
Over the next few years F1 games progressed really well except they lost a few things.
For starters, the '98 and '99 versions, as always had the updated drivers and the new
tyres, etc. but they lost the F1 feel. They were sort of more like an arcade version of
F1. Steering the car was much more easy and made for little or no challenge, even when on
expert. You could play for two weeks and then play on expert and win easily. By '99, the
safety car and more up to date rules had been added in as well as new drivers and teams
but the game still had the arcade feel to it. About three F1 games followed in 2000 and
again, all were similar and still had the arcade feel.
Formula 1 2001 is different though. It has a more F1 feel to it again. It has harder
steering, so more effort is required. When crashing, reel suspension will most likely
break and a retirement is almost assured, this even counts when clipping the barrier a few
too many times. Tyres react well in different situations, such as, after doing a few donuts,
they will have
less grip and the car is harder to control. Other good points about the game would include,
the option of traction control, something that was only just reintroduced to formula one
this season as well as ABS braking, which isn't used in F1; good for beginners though.
Aside from all these good things about the game, there are still a lot of negative aspects,
but I still rate it as one of the top all time F1 games, after '97. For starters, in the
other games, the teams normally finished about in the order that they do in real life races,
from strongest to weakest. In the game, we have some of the weaker teams, such as Benneton,
always finishing in the points when they should be at the mid to lower end of the pack.
Then you have the better teams such as Williams and Jordan at the mid to lower end. I think
the programmers made a few small errors in that department; it can be most frustrating being
chased by a Benneton in a McLaren.
Another poor point about the game is, there aren't enough mechanical failures. The computer
players seem to get quite a few but after playing nearly the whole season, I have yet to
get one, which can be a good thing, but being an F1 fan you notice these small details.
Another point to note is, no matter how bad your crash is, it is almost impossible to get
the safety car out. I haven't managed to get the damn thing to come out yet and if anyone
has, can they please contact me about it, because, again, being an F1 fan, you like to see
these things. The most annoying feature of all is that it is hard to get a lead. No matter
how far in front you get, the computer players will always pull out these impossible lap
times that are unachievable and chase you down straight away, even on easy!
Aside from that, game play is pretty good except when it comes to commentary. Obviously
the game wasn't tested thoroughly enough because Murray Walker tends to make quite a few
errors when commentating. Quite often he will call a driver by the team name or visa versa.
Or he will say the wrong name all together. Sometimes he will even leave the name or team
out all together! This usually only happens with the lower teams though. The programmers
obviously didn't spend too much time here because they thought that no one as going to
choose team like Minardi.
Anyway, enough about game play, on to the controls.
Cross - Accelerate
Square - Break
Triangle - Speed limiter
Circle - Reverse
D-Pad Left - Left
D-Pad Right - Right
D-Pad Up - NO USE
D-Pad Down - NO USE
L1 - Look behind (depending on the view you use - otherwise you use your mirrors)
L2 - Shift down (if using manual)
R1 - Change view
R2 - Shift up (If using manual)
The analogue controller can also be used but I find it difficult, you may find it easier;
chose what you feel comfortable with.
Left Stick - moving left and right will direct the car.
Right Stick - moving up for accelerate, down from break.
Well, the graphics on the Playstation are pretty lame compared to the PS2 these days so
there is nothing special here. The graphics are pretty much similar to last years F1 game
except I'd say they are slightly sleeker and sharper. The car detail and surroundings,
such as trees, etc. go into slightly more detail but nothing significant enough to throw a
party for.
The sound is also a major disappointment. There a few new commentary lines but not enough
to last a while. Once you've played for about 10 hours you've heard them all. And as I
mentioned earlier, the commentators tend to make the wrong calls when calling a race by
mixing driver's names up etc. There is no music while playing so if you were wanted to
listen to music while playing, that's a no go. The sound effects are great though. The
engine accelerating and breaking sounds really cool and the sounds are different for each
engine, depending on the car you choose. The tyres skidding is also a nice effect which
makes it seem real and the vibration sound when riding the curbs makes the experience all
the more exciting. On the overall, it is still rather disappointing.
If you know nothing about F1, chances are you will pick Ferrari because they are probably
the only team you have heard of. F1 fans, like me, will usually choose their favourite team
(mine being McLaren - although sometimes I like to drive with Williams or Sauber - I just
hate Ferrari with a passion). Anyway, here is a brief description of each time and their
drivers. I apologise in advance if any of these names are spelt wrong and when I get around
to it, I will look them up and correct them.
*********
Arrows - One of the back runners. They are probably good for beginners who want to start
off with a slower car to get familiar with the game.
Driver 1: Jos Verstappen - An experienced F1 campaigner. In a few years, with a better team,
he will win some races.
Driver 2: Enrique Bernoldi - In his debut season of F1 this year. From what I have seen of
him so far, I hate him and he won't last long in this business.
*********
BAR - One of the newer teams to F1. They are in their 3rd season and doing reasonably well
this year. Suitable for intermediates.
Driver 1: Jacques Villenerve - Former world champion of 1997. Hasn't won much recently
because he hasn't had the car but a definite goer.
Driver 2: Oliver Panis - Another experienced F1 driver. Has had a quiet achiever but I'm
sure with a better team he'll do wonders.
*********
Benneton - Usually a strong team but having their poorest season to date. In the game they
tend to do ok though so give them a go if you are daring.
Driver 1: Gancarllo Fishicella - Another man who has been in F1 cars for a long time. With
a better car he will go so much faster. Choose him if you want, he's good.
Driver 2: Jensen Button - In his second year of F1 and he hasn't really done much to
impress this season. But, the game tends to favour Benneton so give him a go too.
*********
Ferrari - Currently the top team in F1. This year they look set to win their 3rd straight
constructors championship and Michael Schumacher looks set to take his fourth drivers.
They are always at the front of the pack so when you are good, give them a drive.
Driver 1: Michael Schumacher - Is considered the best F1 driver at the current time and
is already up their with the likes of Senna, Prost, etc. He is a very fast driver. If you
have experience, go with him.
Driver 2: Rubens Barrichello - Another man who has been in racing cars for a very long
time. He is behind the wheel of a Ferrari, which is very fast so he is worth a punt too.
*********
Jaguar - The leaping cat started off in F1 last year and they continue to improve with
their first podium this season. They are getting stronger all the time and are always
worth a run.
Driver 1: Eddie Irvine - The former Ferrari driver has come close to winning the
championship in '99 so he knows what F1 is all about. A very experienced driver.
Driver 2: Lucianio Burti - Starting the season with Jaguar, he is currently driving for
Prost. He is new to F1 and hasn't really done much to impress this season. I'd avoid him
if possible.
*********
Jordan - Not having one of their better seasons this year and tend to hang around the back
of the pack in the game. I recommend them for intermediate players.
Driver 1: Heinz-Harald Frentzen - Was sacked from the Jordan team just recently so he is
no longer an F1 driver! But, he has great speed and is the number one man for Jordan in
the game.
Driver 2: Jarno Trulli - The young Italian has been racing cars for a long time and he
continues to impress this season. If Jordan weren't programmed to go so bad in the game,
I'd give him a drive as well.
*********
McLaren - The current number two team in F1, after Ferrari. They have double world champ
Mika Hakkinen as well as the constructor's champs from '98. Their other driver Coulthard
is chasing his first driver's crown this year also.
Driver 1: Mika Hakkinen - Having a woeful season this year but in the game he always runs
good. He is really good and you should never underestimate the flying Finn.
Driver 2: David Coulthard - He is starting to show some maturity this year and is winning
more races. He is a great F1 driver and I believe will be champion one day. Don't leave him
of your list.
*********
Minardi - Minardi are constantly the bottom of the pile and I'd only recommend you chose
them if you are a die-hard Minardi fan.
Driver 1: Fernando Alonso - In his debut season, the young Spaniard tries his hardest in
a poor car. One day, in a good car, he will do really well.
Driver 2: Tarso Marques - A little more experience than Alonso but he has failed to have
a good season, even by Minardi's standards this year. As I said, I'd really try to avoid
this team.
*********
Prost - Managed by former world champ, Alain Prost, this team is starting to come good
this year by gathering some world championship points. Another good team for intermediates.
Driver 1: Jean Alesi - The most experienced driver on the F1 grid. He is a valuable asset
to the team and if he were in the right car, he would be world champ. If you are an
intermediate, give him a drive.
Driver 2: Mazzacane - I can't even remember his first name because he was sacked early in
the season and replaced by Burti. If he was sacked it means he mustn't of been performing
so I'd suggest steer clear.
*********
Sauber - Sauber are having their best season to date and continue to impress. They are 4th
in the constructors this year and are the 'best of the rest'. In a few years, this team
will be winning races too.
Driver 1: Nick Heidfeld - In his second of F1, he is having a much better run. He is very
fast and should never be underestimated. Always leave him on your list.
Driver 2: Kimmi Raikkenon - His debut season of F1 and he continues to break records. He
is very quick and I'm sure he's a future world champion. A DEFINATE drive.
*********
Williams - The rejuvenated Williams team are back this season and are hot on the heels of
McLaren and Ferrari. They are always improving and will continue to do well into the future.
Driver 1: Ralph Schumacher - The brother of current world, Michael, has won his first few
races this year and is surely a future world champ. Too bad Williams are poor in the game
but I still recommend them.
Driver 2: Juan Pablo Montoya - In his debut season of F1 he has been most impressive and
the only thing stopping him from winning has been back luck and unreliability. He is worth
a definite drive.
The tracks will be listed in order that they appear through the FIA 2001 Formula 1 season.
I will list each track and brief description of each one.
Australia - This track is a medium speed track. It has a fast pit straight and is a series
of tight corners and fast corners that circle Albert Park Lake. It is a good track for
beginners to learn on because it has a mixture of everything from speed to slow corners.
A good lap time is about 1:28:000 or less.
Malaysia - This track is rather fast. It has two very long straights around the stadium
section, which are separated by a hairpin. The track is very wide and has some fast corners
as well as sharp corners. It is a good track to overtake on and very enjoyable to drive.
Brazil - Another medium speed circuit. This circuit is rather short compared to some of
the others but is still very enjoyable to drive. It is one of the few tracks that go in
an anti-clockwise direction so the pits are sometimes are hard to spot. The stadium section
is very fast and the rest of the track is full of tight corners.
San Marino - A great high-speed circuit that requires reasonably low downforce. It is
basically a series of fast corners and straights that are separated by chicanes and the
odd corner. Not the best circuit to over take on because it is rather narrow and if you
brake too late you will most likely skid off into the gravel.
Spain - Spain is another fast track with a VERY long home straight that seems to never end.
There are quite a few high-speed corners as well as some very sharp ones, which are
separated by quick straights. A good run out of the final turn will set up for a quick lap
of this circuit.
Austria - One of the more difficult tracks because the first two corners are over hills and
are very sharp; which is hard to see on the TV screen. One of the slower circuits with a
few quick straights as well as fast corners.
Monoco - The slowest circuit of the Grand Prix year right in the heart of Monoco. This
famous street circuit is very tough because you are surrounded by barriers and there are
few run off areas. The quickest part is through the tunnel where you may reach about 180MPH.
On the rest of the circuit you will be lucky to get more than 130 for a majority of the
time. A circuit only for the skilled.
Canada - A very tough circuit on brakes and a tough circuit to overtake on due to the narrow
track. Canada incorporates a mixture of high-speed straights as well as hairpins and
chicanes. A low downforce is needed for optimum top speed.
Europe - Another great all round track with lots of tight corners as well as quick corners
and the odd straight. With a hairpin as well as some chicanes this is another good track
for beginners as it gives them some of everything. The track is very wide which makes over
taking easy.
France - France is extremely tough on tyres but also a very quick and short track with
about 1:12:00 or quicker being a decent lap. There are many fast corners and straights as
well some a hairpin and a few chicanes. With some very tough corners, this track is one that
you should save until you have some miles under your belt.
Great Britain - Silverstone is another reasonably quick track. It has some fast straights
as well as fast corners. There are two very sharp chicanes in the middle section of the lap
and a lot of small bendy corners at the end. This is more of an intermediate track.
Germany - Hockenheim is the fastest track of the season. It is basically one long big
straight, with slight corners in it, which make basically no difference, which is separated
by a few chicanes. The stadium section, at the end is very twisty. It is like two tracks in
one. I find this high-speed circuit rather boring and overtaking, unless in a quick car can
be hard.
Hungary - The Hungarian Grand Prix is good for beginners because it has lots of corners to
help you adapt to the game. With some long 180-degree corners and a lot of small twisty
corners, the gas/ brake combination gets a good work out here. Another great track to learn
the game on.
Belgium - The Spa circuit is another high-speed circuit with very fast straights and long
fast corners. The circuit also has a number of small chicanes and hairpins to break up the
high speediness of the circuit and also have some standard corners in it. A Williams car
is one of the better performers here.
Italy - Yet again, Monza is a high-speed track. Similar to Hockenhiem, it is like one long
straight, with some long fast corners that are separated by chicanes. Again, I find this
circuit boring because there aren't enough corners. The Williams team will suit this track
also.
United States - The American Gran Prix is a medium speed track with a very long fast corner
at the end, which leads on to a fast straight. It is broken down into small, tight corners
all around the track. Very suitable for beginners to intermediates.
Japan - The final circuit of the 2001 Grand Prix Calender. Suzuka is a fast circuit, which
is spilt up by small tight bends as well as chicanes. Be early on the brakes because
sometimes you will need to go from 200MPH to just 30MPH in 100 meters. Good brakes and grip
are essential for you to be competitive here.
When you first start up the game and go through all the credits, etc. you will come to a main
screen with: Grand Prix Mode, Arcade Mode and Load Game. We all know what load game is about
(you load your saved game, duh!) so I will discuss the other two here.
*************
Grand Prix Mode
*************
Definately my favourite mode because it is like real racing (IE: If you crash, your car will
become damaged or if you hit to the grass too much, you will lose control). After entering
Grand Prix Mode, there will be three main sections yet again. These are Championship Season,
Single Race or Challenge mode. Championship Season involves driving for one team, as one driver
for every Grand Prix circuit on the 2001 and calander. You have to finsih in the top 6 every
race to try and collect as many points as possible so you can with the Driver's and
Constructor's crowns. (Usually when you finsih this, and win it, you unlock some special stuff,
I am currently up to about round 11 out of 17, so when I get around to finsihing it, I will tell
you what you unlock when you win - of course I am winning :P )The Single Race mode involves just
what it says; one race from the 2001 Grand Prix Calander. And the challenge mode, involves
trying to get the fastest lap on the Spa circuit in Belgium then registering your time at the
Sony Site. But that competition is closed so that section is pointless now (I finished 2nd in
my country, Australia - not bad, eh?)
*******************
Championship Season
*******************
Definately what the game is all about. At the start of this section you have to choose a number
of things. The first being, your driver and team. I recommend Ferrari, McLaren or Williams
mainly because they are the fastest teams out there or if you feel like a mid-grid car, Jordan,
Jaguar, BAR, or Sauber are your ticket. If you are insane, go for one of the back-grid runners.
I personally wouldn't bother. Now that you have your driver, you need to choose what sort of
race conditions you will have. For example, flags are on, failures are on, etc. I like to have
all ther rules of a proper Grand Prix as it makes it more exciting. Now choose the number of
laps, about 20 is good because it isn't too long and it isn't too short for something
interesting to happen.
These strategies are based on what I find best so far from playing the game. You may find some
other ways better than the following so it is entirely up to you. Just remember, this is
advice.
Ok, I tend to play a 20 lap race most of the time because anything less is too short for
strategy to come into play and anything longer can get boring (but when I am feeling very
eager, I play a full race). I usually play with all the rules turned on (tyre wear, fuel
consumption, flags, etc.) because it makes the race feel more real and more exciting. Usually
on a 20-lap race, lap 10-11 is about the best time to pit (providing you haven't pitted earlier
from a crash) because this is when the AI's pit so you can get a good idea of how much time you
make up during the pit stop. Be warned, the AI's tend to slow down A LOT when entering the pits
so make sure not to go into the back of them otherwise your front wing and suspension will get
damaged. If you can get around this and use the automatic speed pit limiter, you should make up
lots of time.
Another good way to make up time is to "nip" the grass on the straights when you have the pedal
to the metal. You should do the following, slowly go over to the grass, touch it with your left
or right wheels, then go back on to the track. You should find you gain an extra mile or two.
Those of you who have played Challenge mode will know that the top speed is 196MPH. If you nip
the grass correctly, it is possible to go to 220+MPH (my personal best being 230MPH). That is
how I was able to achieve the 1:33:537 lap time :) Anyway, make sure you practise this because
it does a take a while to get the hang of.
When racing make sure you slip stream. What I mean by this is, when going down a straight, tuck
yourself under the rear wing of the car in front. When you find yourself catching up, just
before the corner comes, dash out to the side of the track (whichever side is the inside
depending on the corner) and go late under brakes. You should be able to over take quiet easily.
Make sure not to lock-up your tyres, for several reasons. One, you will flat spot them which,
will make the grip deteriorate and two, you don't stop as fast whilst skidding. If you do lock
up, release the brakes and quickly jump back on them. In fact, I sometimes find it quicker to
stop by tapping the brake button VERY quickly.
Don't take shot cuts. The game knows almost all the shot cuts (almost - you will see a major
one I found soon :) ) and if you take too many, a stop and go penalty is a certainty, which will
cost you time. Also, try not crash into other cars if possible and keep off the barrier - it
damages your car and another pit stop will be needed.
No credits at this stage but if you send in information that is used on this site, your name
will be listed here, with what you sent in! Providing, of course, it is your own! Your
details won't be released unless you wish.
I have been looking at a lot of the other guides on the site, seeing as this is my first
one, to see what they have. It has come to my attention that an e-mail policy looks important
so people don't send you crap e-mail that is useless. Here is a list of what you can and
can't send at this stage (it will change as the FAQ grows).
CAN SEND:
- Any information about the game, of any sort, that doesn't appear here. It must be your own
otherwise source it from where you got it!
- Any cheats, codes, hints, etc. that don't appear here.
- Anything that you have which is slightly more updated than what I have here would be useful.
CAN'T SEND:
- Anything that isn't your own.
- Anything that already appears here that is exactly the same.
This document is copyright by Adam Testaz, 2001. Please do not copy all or any part of
this guide and claim it as your own without my written consent. Do not copy this guide,
then alter it and claim it as you own. This guide is not to be used to make any money. If
you wish to use my guides, please e-mail and we can come to a compromise. My guides should
only be found at:
- http://www.a2zcheats.com
- http://www.neoseeker.com
- http://www.gamefaqs.com
- http://psxcodez.com
- http://www.cheatcc.com
- if you find my guide elsewhere, please contact me.
Adios!
