The right assists and the right AI level do the same job. They put you in a race where you have to drive well to win, but where you can win. Too easy and you learn nothing. Too hard and you stop playing.
Here is where I would start, and how to move from there.
Best F1 2020 assists to start with
| Assist | Start with | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Steering assist | Off | Off |
| Braking assist | Off | Off |
| Anti lock brakes | On | Off |
| Traction control | Medium | Off on a wheel, Medium or Off on a pad |
| Dynamic racing line | Corners only | Off |
| Dynamic racing line type | 3D | 3D |
| Gearbox | Automatic | Manual |
| Pit assist | On | Off |
| Pit release assist | On | Off |
| ERS assist | On | Off |
| DRS assist | On | Off |
You find them under Assists on the Home tab of the main menu, and in the pause menu during a session.
If this is your first racing game, there is no shame in turning everything on for the first evening. Just do not stay there.
Casual or Standard race style
F1 2020 added a choice called race style. You pick it on the screen before a session.
- Casual is the forgiving one. Grass and gravel slow you down less, the car can be put back on track for you, and steering assist is there to help you around the corners.
- Standard is the normal game, like the F1 games before it.
Each style has its own assist list. So if you change an assist and nothing happens on track, check that you changed it for the style you are racing in.
Use Standard if you can. Casual is fine for a child or for somebody who has never held a pad. For everybody else, it hides the things you need to learn: where the track ends, and what happens when you go past it.
What each assist does
Steering assist. The game corrects your steering in the corners. Off. It fights your hands and you never learn the line.
Braking assist. The game brakes for you. It does it early and it does it a lot, so you are slow into every corner. This is the first one to turn off. Braking is the biggest skill in a racing car, and you cannot learn it while the game does it.
Anti lock brakes. Stops the wheels locking when you hit the brake too hard. A real F1 car does not have it. Keep it on at the start. Turn it off when you can brake at the same point lap after lap.
Traction control. Full, Medium or Off. Full cuts the power so much that the car is slow out of slow corners. Medium still saves you from most spins and costs less time. Off is the fastest, if your right foot is good.
Dynamic racing line. Full shows the line for the whole lap. Corners only shows it in the braking zones and the corners. Start on Corners only. With the full line, you look at the line and not at the track.
Gearbox. Automatic is fine while you learn the tracks. Manual is faster: you choose a higher gear out of slow corners to stop wheelspin, and you use the downshifts to help the car slow down and turn.
Pit assist and pit release assist. The game drives the pit lane and the release for you. Low priority. Turn them off when you want the full race, and remember the pit limiter.
ERS assist. The game manages the battery. With it off, you choose when to use overtake mode. In F1 2020 the overtake button is a toggle, so turn it off again after the straight or the battery is empty in two laps.
DRS assist. Opens the flap for you in the DRS zone. With it off, you press the button yourself. Easy to learn.
The order to turn assists off
One at a time. Give each change a full evening before you judge it.
- Braking assist. Day one.
- Racing line from Full to Corners only.
- Gearbox to Manual. Do it in time trial on a track you know.
- Anti lock brakes. Expect lock ups into slow corners for a few days. Brake hard at first, then let the pedal come up as the car slows.
- Traction control from Medium to Off. The hardest step. Squeeze the throttle. In second and third gear the rear tyres cannot take full power.
- Racing line Off. Learn one track at a time. Use the distance boards, the kerbs and the marshal posts as braking points.
You will be slower for the first days after each step. That is normal. Drivers who accept a few slow days improve the most. The ones who go back to the old setting after one bad session stay where they are.
On a pad, steps 4 and 5 are harder because a trigger has less travel than a pedal. My F1 2020 controller settings help a lot with that.
F1 2020 AI difficulty levels
The AI driver level is a slider from 0 to 110. The game names the bands like this:
| Name | AI driver level |
|---|---|
| Very Easy | 0 to 19 |
| Easy | 20 to 39 |
| Medium | 40 to 59 |
| Hard | 60 to 79 |
| Expert | 80 to 89 |
| Master | 90 to 94 |
| Legend | 95 to 100 |
| Ultimate | 101 to 110 |
You set it in the session settings before a Grand Prix. In career and My Team you can change it between race weekends.
What AI difficulty should you use?
| You | Start at |
|---|---|
| New to F1 games, most assists on | 20 to 40 |
| Some experience, a few assists | 40 to 60 |
| Regular player, traction control Medium | 60 to 85 |
| Fast, no assists | 85 to 100 |
| League racer | 100 to 110 |
These are ranges to start from. Your real number comes from a test.
How to find your AI level
- Pick a track you know well. Do not use Monaco or Singapore.
- Run a Grand Prix weekend with full qualifying, or one shot qualifying.
- Do a clean lap on the same tyre as the AI.
- Compare your time with your teammate. Same car, so the gap is you against the AI.
Then:
| Result in qualifying | Change |
|---|---|
| More than 1 second faster than your teammate | Up 10 |
| 0.3 to 1 second faster | Up 5 |
| Within 0.3 seconds, in front or behind | Stay |
| 0.3 to 1 second slower | Down 5 |
| More than 1 second slower | Down 10 |
Check it again in a race of 25% or more. Some people are quick over one lap and lose time in the race, or the opposite. If you qualify with your teammate but they drive away in the race, the problem is tyres and consistency, not the AI level. Stay and work on that.
Two things to know:
- Your level is not the same on every track. You will be stronger on some circuits than on others. One number that is fair on most tracks is fine. If one track is far off, change it for that weekend.
- The setup moves the result. The AI is not slowed down by a bad setup like you are. A proper setup can be worth several AI points. All 22 tracks are in my F1 2020 setups hub.
When the settings do not feel right
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You win every race by 20 seconds | AI up 5 to 10 | No pressure, no progress |
| You fight for the last places in a top car | AI down 5 | You should race the cars around you |
| You are fast in qualifying, slow in the race | Keep the AI, work on tyres | A race pace problem |
| You spin on corner exits | Traction control back to Medium | Then try again in time trial |
| You lock the front tyres at every hairpin | Brake bias back 2%, or anti lock brakes On | Less front brake pressure |
| The AI passes you on every straight | Check ERS and wing levels | Often a setup or battery problem |
| You changed an assist and nothing happened | Check the race style | Casual and Standard have separate lists |
Next steps
- Get the hardware right first: F1 2020 wheel settings or F1 2020 controller settings.
- Set the camera with my F1 2020 FOV settings. A good view makes braking without the racing line much easier.
- Driving advice for when the assists are off is in my F1 2020 tips.
- On the next game? Here is the F1 2021 assists and AI difficulty guide.
FAQ
What is the best AI difficulty for F1 2020?
There is no single number. Most regular players are between 60 and 85. The right one puts you within about three tenths of your teammate in qualifying.
How do you change the AI difficulty in F1 2020?
Before a Grand Prix, open the session settings and move the AI Driver Level slider. In career and My Team you can change it between race weekends.
What is the highest AI difficulty in F1 2020?
- The top band, from 101 to 110, is called Ultimate.
Which assists should I turn off first?
Braking assist. After that, take the racing line down to Corners only, then go to manual gears. Anti lock brakes and traction control come later.
Is it faster to drive without traction control?
Yes, when you can control the throttle. Full traction control cuts a lot of power out of slow corners. Medium is a good middle step, and many pad drivers stay there.
What is the difference between Casual and Standard in F1 2020?
Casual is a simpler race style. Going off track costs less, the car can be reset to the track and steering assist is available. Standard is the normal game. Each style has its own assist settings.
Should I use the racing line?
Use Corners only while you learn a track. Then turn it off, one track at a time. Without it you look further ahead, and that makes you faster.