What are casual and standard race styles in F1 2020?

Formula 1 games in the past have tended to lean on one side of the racing spectrum but tried to cater for everyone where possible. The F1 games by Codemasters have angled more on simulation, looking to offer an experience that’s as authentic to the real deal as possible but with the option to turn assistance to the race cars on or off. F1 under the EA brand was created by Visual Science, creators of hardcore racing simulator rFactor, but offered both simulation and arcade-style options to allow both fanatics and more casual players to enjoy.

This year for F1 2020, Codemasters has introduced a new Casual control scheme to the game. In this control setup, the game makes the controls much simpler by taking all of the mechanics that are part of the usual control scheme. It would normally allow you to tinker with parts of the car that affect the driving experience, such as traction control and anti-lock braking and would usually have a dramatic impact on how you accelerate and brake, and condensing them into a couple of easy to understand options. 

For the Casual control setup, it keeps things very simple. There are a few options available, including steering assist, which will make the steering more fluid and consistent, and braking assist, when the game can offer to brake for you or offer simple assistance. There is also the ability to simply reset back on track if you go off it, a dynamic racing line to make sure you are taking the best possible route at all times, and DRS Assist that will automatically use DRS when it’s available. You are also locked to Automatic transmission.

The Standard control setup is more of what you’d expect from an F1 game, with the options to toggle all major systems that help the car to function efficiently. You can also toggle other racing options, including whether to use manual or automatic gear changes, and you can use DRS and ERS, the two in-car systems that will provide sharp bursts of performance to help with catching up or overtaking opponents, automatically or manually amongst other options.

With both of the race-style control setups, picking which one to use is up to you. Standard makes for a more challenging game that is closer to what an F1 driver would actually experience, but the Casual setup will make the game much more accessible and less punishing when making mistakes. The one that works best is up to you, though, be aware that you will not be able to use the Casual settings in online multiplayer.