F1 2021 is very playable on a controller. The default calibration is the problem. The stick is too sharp around the centre and the triggers go from nothing to everything in a few millimetres.
Three menus fix it: Calibration, Generic Settings and Assists. Here is what I would set in each.
F1 2021 controller calibration settings
Go to Settings, then Controls, Vibration and Force Feedback. Pick your controller and open Calibration.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Steering deadzone | 0 |
| Steering linearity | 50 |
| Steering saturation | 0 |
| Throttle deadzone | 0 |
| Throttle linearity | 50 |
| Throttle saturation | 0 |
| Brake deadzone | 0 |
| Brake linearity | 50 |
| Brake saturation | 0 |
The same values work on Xbox, PlayStation and PC. They are a baseline. Drive ten laps, then use the table at the bottom of this page to adjust.
What the three sliders do
Linearity bends the response. At 0, half of the stick gives half of the steering. At 50, the first part of the stick does less and the last part does more. You still get full lock at the end of the travel. You get more control in the middle, where you drive most of the lap.
- Steering. A thumbstick moves about 1 cm from centre to full lock. Linearity gives you finer control on the straights and in fast corners, where a small move of the thumb is a big move of the car.
- Throttle. A trigger has a short travel. With linearity, the first half gives less power, so you can feed it in on the exit.
- Brake. It is easier to hold 60% or 70% into a corner without jumping to 100% and locking a wheel.
Deadzone is a part of the travel that the game ignores. Keep it at 0 on a healthy pad. To check, open the test screen in the calibration menu and let go of the stick. If the steering does not return to 0, raise the steering deadzone one step at a time until it does. Do the same for the triggers.
Saturation makes the game reach 100% before the stick or the trigger does. Leave it at 0. Raise it only if the test screen shows that a worn trigger or stick does not reach 100.
Generic settings
This menu is in the same Controls screen. It is small, and one line in it matters a lot.
| Setting | Options | Game default | I would use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overtake ERS Mode | Toggle, Hold | Toggle | Hold |
| Trigger Rumble | Off, On, Auto | On | On |
| Adaptive Triggers | Off, Weak, Medium, Strong | Medium | Medium |
| MFD Car Setup Panel | Default, Also Use Look Around | Default | Default |
The options and defaults are from EA's menu reference for the game.
Overtake ERS Mode: Hold. With Toggle, one press turns the extra power on and it stays on until you press again. If you forget, the battery is empty in a lap or two. With Hold, the power is only there while you hold the button. On a pad, where your right thumb is free on the straights, Hold is the safer choice.
Trigger Rumble: On. On pads that support it, the triggers vibrate when a wheel locks or spins. It is the best information a controller can give you. Keep it.
Adaptive Triggers: Medium. This is for the PS5 DualSense. The triggers push back against your fingers depending on the forces on the tyres. Medium is a good level. Strong is tiring over a long race. If your fingers hurt after thirty minutes, go to Weak before you turn it off.
MFD Car Setup Panel. With Also Use Look Around you move through the panel with the right stick. Leave it on Default unless you find the d-pad awkward.
Button layout
The game has two presets for each pad: Xbox Controller Preset 1 and 2, and DualShock Preset 1 and 2. Every button can be changed.
I keep the full lists on their own pages, so I do not repeat them here:
Two rules matter more than the exact buttons:
- Nothing important on the left thumb. Your left thumb steers. If it has to leave the stick to press a button, the car goes straight.
- DRS and overtake under the right thumb. You use them on the straight, when the right thumb has nothing else to do.
Assists for a controller
On a wheel I would tell you to take most assists off as soon as you can. On a pad it is different. A trigger and a thumbstick are less precise than pedals and a wheel, and some help is normal.
| Assist | Options in the game | Start with | Later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering assist | On, Off | Off | Off |
| Braking assist | Off, Low, Medium, High | Off | Off |
| Anti-lock brakes | On, Off | On | Off, when you stop locking up |
| Traction control | Off, Medium, Full | Medium | Many fast pad drivers stay on Medium |
| Dynamic racing line | Off, Corners Only, Full | Corners Only | Off, track by track |
| Gearbox | Automatic, Manual, Suggested Gear | Automatic | Manual |
| Pit assist | On, Off | On | Off |
| ERS and DRS assist | On, Off | On | Off |
Braking assist off, always. It brakes for you, too early and too much. You never learn a braking point with it on.
Traction control Medium. Full cuts so much power that you are slow out of every corner. Off needs a very soft right finger on a short trigger. Medium is the right place for most people on a pad.
Anti-lock brakes on. It is easy to lock the fronts with a trigger. Turn it off when you can brake at about 80% without thinking.
The order to remove them, and what AI level to race against, is in my F1 2021 assists and AI difficulty guide.
Vibration
The Vibration and Force Feedback menu also controls the rumble of the pad. Keep vibration on. With no pedals and no wheel, it is the only thing you feel from the car.
- Rumble strip effects tell you when you are on a kerb. Useful, keep them.
- On track effects shake the pad on bumps. Lower them if it annoys you.
- Off track effects shake it on grass and gravel. Low is fine.
Wheel damper, understeer enhance and maximum wheel rotation are made for steering wheels. I would leave them alone on a pad. If you have a wheel, use my F1 2021 wheel settings instead.
How to drive F1 2021 on a pad
The settings are half of it. The other half is your thumbs.
- Roll the stick. Do not flick it. A fast input upsets the car, and these cars do not forgive that at high speed.
- No full lock in fast corners. Full stick is for hairpins. A fast corner needs maybe a third of it.
- Brake in a straight line, then release as you turn. Hard on the trigger first, then let it come up as the car slows.
- Squeeze the throttle on the exit. Count to two from nothing to full out of a slow corner.
- Take the next gear early. With manual gears, third gear early out of a hairpin means less wheelspin.
- Use less kerb than the wheel drivers. A pad cannot catch a snap as fast as a wheel can. Stay off the high ones.
A stable car helps a lot. On a pad, a calm rear end is worth more than top speed. Every track is in my F1 2021 setups hub.
What to change when it does not feel right
One change at a time, three laps each.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Car is twitchy on the straights | Steering linearity up to 60 or 70 | Less reaction around the centre |
| Car feels slow to turn in | Steering linearity down to 30 or 40 | More reaction early in the stick |
| Not enough lock in hairpins | Steering saturation up to 10 or 20 | Full lock comes earlier |
| Car turns by itself | Steering deadzone up, one step at a time | Hides stick drift |
| You spin on corner exit | Throttle linearity up to 70 | Softer first half of the trigger |
| You lock the front tyres | Brake linearity up to 70, or anti-lock brakes On | Softer first half of the trigger |
| Braking feels weak | Brake linearity down to 30 | More brake earlier in the trigger |
| Battery always empty | Overtake ERS Mode to Hold | The power stops when you let go |
| Fingers tired on a DualSense | Adaptive Triggers to Weak | Less resistance in the triggers |
Next steps
- Set the view before you race: F1 2021 camera settings.
- Driving advice that works on a pad too: F1 2021 tips.
- Thinking about a wheel? Read F1 2021 controller vs wheel.
- On another game: F1 2020 controller settings, F1 22 controller settings and F1 25 controller settings.
FAQ
What are the best controller settings for F1 2021?
In calibration: steering, throttle and brake linearity at 50, with every deadzone and saturation at 0. In generic settings: Overtake ERS Mode on Hold. For assists: traction control Medium, anti-lock brakes On and braking assist Off.
Can you play F1 2021 with a controller?
Yes. The game is made for pads as much as for wheels. With linearity at 50 and Medium traction control you can race clean and be competitive.
Are the settings the same on Xbox and PlayStation?
The calibration values are the same on every platform. Only the button names change, and the Adaptive Triggers setting is for the PS5 DualSense.
What does steering linearity do in F1 2021?
It makes the first part of the stick less sensitive. A higher value gives a calmer car on the straights and in fast corners. You still reach full lock at the end of the stick.
Should Overtake ERS Mode be Toggle or Hold?
Hold, on a pad. The extra power is only on while you hold the button, so you cannot forget it and drain the battery.
Should I turn off adaptive triggers in F1 2021?
I would not. They tell you about grip under braking and on the throttle. If Medium is tiring, use Weak.
Is a controller slower than a wheel in F1 2021?
Over one lap a good pad driver is close. Over a race the wheel is easier, because you have more precision on the throttle and the tyres last longer.