F1 24 is finally here, and you’ll need to master ERS battery usage if you want to become a true Formula 1 ace! ERS is a system implemented into F1 cars that allows drivers to charge a special battery, which they can then turn on for extra horsepower. Managing this efficiently is key to winning races and setting record times, and that’s true both in real life and in F1 24!
How To Master Battery Usage | ERS Basics Guide
In this guide, we’ll help you understand everything there is to know about ERS battery usage. We’ll cover all the basics as well as give you tips and tricks to get you started on the road to mastery. If you’re just starting out with F1 24, you might find yourself overwhelmed with a lot that the game has to offer. So, we recommend that you check out our F1 24 Complete Beginner’s Guide. It should help ease you into it.
Understand the ERS Interface
Knowing what the various bits and bobs in the ERS interface mean is crucial to master battery usage in F1 24. All these colored gauges and whatnot might seem really hard to understand at first, but it’s all pretty simple once you break it down. So, this is what every gauge and icon in the ERS interface is for:
- Battery Icon – This one is pretty self-explanatory. The battery icon shows your remaining ERS battery percentage.
- Green – This indicates your remaining ERS battery deployment. Basically, how much of your remaining battery you’re “allowed” to use for the lap. It resets every lap and drains whenever you activate Hotlap and Overtake ERS modes. Make sure you never fully drain this gauge, as it will derail your car!
- Yellow – Your remaining battery. Effectively, this gauge is just another visual representation of the battery icon in the middle of the ERS interface.
- Red – Your current ERS battery redeployment. This gauge will fill up as your brake, and essentially limits how much energy you can harvest by braking. When this gauge is full, you will stop gaining battery when braking. Just like the green gauge, it resets every lap.
ERS Deployment Modes
Now that we know what all of the stuff on the interface means, it’s time to talk about the various ERS deployment modes in F1 24. You can’t master battery usage without knowing about these!
There are four different ERS Deploy modes you can use when ERS is set to manual. You can see and change these modes on the bottom right corner of the screen by default and they are as follows:
- None – Disables the ERS system entirely. You will be slower than with ERS on, but your battery will recharge much faster while lifting and coasting.
- Medium – A balanced ERS mode. It’s not too fast, but it also allows you to recharge the battery somewhat without fully disabling ERS.
- Hotlap – The best mode for an overall boost of speed. Drains battery relatively slowly, so it’s easy to maintain Hotlap deployment mode active for long periods of time. It’s also fast enough to allow you to overtake other racers! All in all, an efficient balance of speed and battery drain.
- Overtake – The fastest mode, but also the one with the highest battery drain. This mode has its own button for activating and deactivating. As its name indicates, it’s ideal to overtake other racers due to the massive boost of speed. Just be careful using this when corners are near and also keep an eye out on your battery!
Tips and Tricks to Master Efficient ERS Battery Usage
With all the basics laid down, it’s now time to really get into the nitty and gritty of how to master battery usage in this game.
F1 24, in comparison to some other games in the series, relies on micromanaging ERS more for boosting. Overtake mode in particular is extremely powerful with its massive boost to speed, and you also recharge your battery pretty quickly in None and Medium deployment modes.
Generally speaking, you want to stick to either Medium or Hotlap modes as long as you have enough battery for them. Brake when needed to recharge the battery until your battery redeployment gauge fills up. Only set ERS deployment to None if you have extremely low battery and already maxed out your battery redeployment for the lap.
For Overtake mode, you want to use it on straights as much as possible. However, you can also quickly switch it on and off when exiting a curve for a boost of speed. Just make sure to pay attention to your battery and battery deployment gauges, as Overtake drains the battery fast. Nonetheless, it’s a good idea to try to use it whenever possible as it’s overpowered in F1 24, quite frankly.
Learning tracks will also be extremely important as it will help you determine when to conserve battery and when to use Overtake ERS.
Also, it’s a good idea to start races in Medium mode and then quickly switch to Overtake after the initial wheel spin. Climb as many positions as possible to get a headstart!
But well, that’s the end of our guide. Keep all this info in mind as you play F1 24, and you’ll be sure to master battery usage in no time! Just remember to practice since you need to get a “feel” for it yourself. Up next, why not check our Track Guide for Bahrain & Setup + Hotlap in F1 24?
