F1 2001

ISI/EA · released 2001 · discussed in 3,870 posts, 2000-2006 · overall tone mixed

Posts per month

Timeline

2001-10-05 EA released F1 2001 for the PC, developed by ISI, without force feedback support at launch. thread post post
2001-10-25 Relay Games added online racing support for F1 2001. post thread
2001-11-23 EA and ISI released a beta patch for F1 2001 that added force feedback and improved frame rates. thread post
2002-02-05 SimBin released version 2 of the FIA GT mod for F1 2001, with new physics. post
2002-03-07 EA released the second F1 2001 update, fixing force feedback and split-axis problems. post post
2002-06-03 SimBin released version 3 of the FIA GT mod for F1 2001, and demand overwhelmed the download servers. thread post

Key threads

Does the FIA really block online play in F1 sims? 2002-01-24 · 48 posts
Rob Adams asked for evidence that the FIA prevents proper internet multiplayer in F1 games. Ian Bell said he had heard the online licence would cost around $5 million on top of the standard licence, and Schumi of Relay Games explained that F1 Relay was legal, tolerated by Ubisoft, and had nearly got official support before a licensing crackdown. The thread mixed this insight with insults between David G Fisher and Gerry Aitken.
F1 2001 beta patch adds force feedback 2001-11-23 · 48 posts
Ashley McConnell posted the link to EA and ISI's beta patch for F1 2001. Users reported that it fixed graphics and mirror problems, raised frame rates and added force feedback that some compared favourably with GPL's, though some wheels needed the FF sign inverted and split-axis calibration still troubled TSW owners. Later posts covered performance tuning such as adding RAM and adjusting how far away cars are drawn.
FIA GT Mod V3 released for F1 2001 2002-06-03 · 29 posts
Players praised version 3 of the FIA GT mod for F1 2001 as highly realistic. Demand overwhelmed the download servers, and Simbin's Ian Bell apologised and set up fragmented mirrors. Some planned to wait for F1 2002, which the mod team said could carry the mod over.
F1 2001 versus GPL: which has better physics? 2002-01-31 · 94 posts
Mike Farrar asked whether F1 2001 or GPL is the more realistic sim. Opinions split: F1 2001 fans praised its smoother framerate and handling after patches, while GPL fans cited its feedback, community and online play, and some argued GPL's tyre model makes the cars harder to drive than they really were. Later posts covered F1 2001 controller sensitivity settings and pedal-range problems with MS Force Feedback wheels.
Poor first impressions of F1 2001, later reversed 2001-10-05 · 75 posts
Iain Mackenzie gave very poor first impressions of F1 2001, criticising its sound, graphics, frame rate and menus. Others replied that the newest Nvidia 21.xx drivers caused the problems and recommended older drivers or windowed mode, and a side argument broke out over downgrading drivers. After switching drivers Mackenzie said F1 2001 was becoming his favourite modern F1 sim, though the lack of force feedback remained a complaint.
Self-described EA tester trashes F1 2001 PC 2001-10-15 · 68 posts
A poster called fluffypony, claiming to be an EA tester who had worked on the PS2 version, declared the PC F1 2001 a very poor game. Most dismissed him as a troll, defended the game, and mocked him after finding his personal website, though a friend vouched that he did work for EA. Others explained the PC and PS2 versions came from different teams, with the PS2 version by Studio Liverpool.
TSW2 wheel jitter on SB Live gameport and fixes 2002-01-05 · 63 posts
An owner of a TSW2 modified wheel reported severe jitter that Thomas Super Wheels said was on his end, even after replacement pots. Others said the SB Live gameport was a known problem and recommended a PDPI card or the Sim-Addicts USB converter, while many owners praised the wheel and TSW support. A side discussion covered getting split-axis pedals working in F1 2001 by holding the brake during startup or using DXTweak.
Damien Smith's critical view of F1 2001 2001-10-14 · 62 posts
Damien Smith called F1 2001 mediocre, singling out grass that allowed high-speed excursions without spinning, plus graphics and frame-rate issues. Many disagreed strongly and suspected configuration problems, though some conceded the grass could be adjusted in ini files. Monster Games' Dave Pollatsek explained how Direct3D windowed and full-screen modes differ and mentioned his new multibody physics engine.
Radeon 8500 versus GeForce3 Ti 200 for racing sims 2001-11-13 · 58 posts
STP asked about ATI's Radeon 8500 versus the GeForce3 Ti 200. Owners reported the 8500 ran F1 2001, GPL and NASCAR 4 well, with its new Smoothvision drivers giving good anti-aliasing, while others criticised ATI's immature drivers. STP first bought the GF3, then returned it for the 8500 after hitting an nVidia XP driver bug; the thread also argued over whether F1 2001's mirror problems were nVidia's or EA's fault.
F1 2001 no-CD patch sparks copy-protection debate 2001-11-25 · 53 posts
A link to a no-CD executable for the F1 2001 patch was answered by a poster calling himself 'EA employed', who accused the group of encouraging piracy. Many legitimate owners argued that CD checks only inconvenience paying customers while pirates bypass them, and suggested better schemes such as Operation Flashpoint's FADE. The poster's claim that the check takes only a second or two was ridiculed, and the exchanges grew heated.
Honest opinions on whether F1 2001 is worth buying 2001-10-07 · 47 posts
James Pickard asked for honest views on F1 2001 without GPL elitism. Most owners, including Phil Lee of Legends Central, said it felt right and was the best modern F1 sim despite no force feedback, praising its AI, sound and frame rate once driver issues were fixed. Fixes discussed included older Nvidia drivers, matching desktop resolution and running FRAPS, and Joe Marques compared PS2 F1 titles, saying EA's version won.
Upcoming racing sims expected after NASCAR 4 2001-02-22 · 38 posts
A user asked what the next big racing sim would be after NASCAR Racing 4. Posters listed World Sports Cars, F1 Racing Championship, F1 2001, Leadfoot, Skip Barber Racing, Gran Turismo 3 and Bugbear's Historic Rally Trophy, with a Bugbear developer vouching for its physics. Some doubted WSC's release date and noted Skip Barber had been delayed.
John Bodin's F1 2001 preview sparks argument 2001-09-12 · 34 posts
Ali Ismet Ozkan linked John Bodin's preview of EA's F1 2001, which praised it as possibly the most realistic and immersive racing sim yet. Douglas Ellison dismissed it as butt-kissing for an early beta, Bodin responded angrily, and after an exchange both apologised, blaming tension after recent events. Further discussion covered the cluttered ISI setup browser and how modern F1 cars compare to GPL.
Early F1 2001 impressions from Australia 2001-10-02 · 34 posts
An Australian buyer reported good first impressions of EA's F1 2001 running on a modest PC. Others reported poor frame rates traced to newer GeForce drivers, and it emerged that the PC version shipped without force feedback, with rumours of a patch, while the PS2 version had it. This drew complaints about EA's support for PC versions and still-missing patches for earlier F1 titles.
F1 2002 screenshots and SimBin on physics and mod support 2002-04-04 · 27 posts
New F1 2002 screenshots prompted Douglas Ellison to claim the physics had been dumbed down. SimBin's Ian Bell said this was wrong, explaining that the physics sampling had been doubled and bump smoothing added, while warning that existing GT mod cars and tracks would not be compatible. Bell added that F1 2002 should be as moddable as F1 2001 and that Locutus was working on a new filter, and the original rumour turned out to concern driving aids only.
Custom force feedback profiles for F1 2001 2001-11-24 · 26 posts
Pat Dotson shared custom F1 2001 force feedback settings for Logitech, ACT Labs and Microsoft wheels, saying the stock grip weighting was too high and his profiles gave a more GPL-like feel. Users praised the results, and the thread explained why some wheels need negative FF values, how F1 2001's steering sensitivity slider works, and that NASCAR 4 does not allow similar tuning.
Is F1 2001's high-speed grip too high? 2001-12-15 · 24 posts
David G Fisher argued that F1 2001 has too much medium- and high-speed grip, saying Eau Rouge could be taken flat even with very low wing, unlike in F1 Racing Championship. Some agreed the sim was too easy, while Iain Mackenzie and others said real drivers do take those corners flat and praised details such as chassis flex. Remco Moedt noted F1RC's own flaw of steering with locked front wheels.
Sports car mods: GPL limits and the F1 2001 FIA GT mod 2002-01-22 · 20 posts
A poster asked whether anyone had made sports car mods for GPL. Replies said GPL is too hard to edit for car mods, while SimBin's Ian Bell promoted the FIA GT mod for F1 2001 and said version 2 with completely new physics was days away. Others asked about installation and online play, which Dave Henrie said was limited to a handful of cars in F1 2001, and Barton Brown wished for 1960s sports car sets.
Is there a patch for F1 Racing Championship? 2002-02-15 · 50 posts
Christian R. asked if Ubisoft had ever patched F1 Racing Championship. Replies said the long-promised patch never appeared, and the thread became a comparison with F1 2001, whose controller setup many found confusing despite its stronger force feedback. David G Fisher later tried NR2002 and wished Papyrus would offer a CART-style car, and Dave Henrie pointed to the CART Heat mod.
Mod wishes for F1 2001 spark console-versus-PC spat 2002-03-11 · 49 posts
Heckler asked for touring-car, V8 and other mods for EA's F1 2001, and others pointed to existing DTM and Aussie V8 projects and to NASCAR Heat mods. When he admitted not knowing what ICR2 was and defended console racers, several regulars mocked him, and the exchange turned into name-calling with Edward C. Side topics included rumoured F1 licensing costs that limit online play and EA reversing a plan to shut down Need for Speed Porsche servers.
Fixing F1 2001's DirectX 8 error on a Voodoo5 2002-04-17 · 40 posts
Alison Hine could no longer run F1 2001 on her Voodoo5 because of a 'no DirectX 8 video adapters found' error. Many suggested different 3dfx drivers and ways to clean out old ones, but the fix came from B Farmer: toggling the Direct3D acceleration button in DxDiag, after which F1 2001 ran again.
F1 2001 praised, with multiplayer and control issues 2001-10-08 · 38 posts
Rob Swindells declared F1 2001 better than GP3 2000. Others agreed it felt great but reported broken multiplayer with warping, controller deadzone and lag problems, and inaccurate tracks such as the Hungaroring. Tony Rickard shared tweaks from the High Gear forums such as LOD changes, and the GPLFOV utility for GPL was also mentioned.
Why the F1 2001 GT mod got little attention here 2002-01-10 · 38 posts
David G Fisher asked why the newly released GT mod for F1 2001 got so little discussion. Replies cited its unfinished state, limits to Grand Prix mode at first, and above all F1 2001's weak multiplayer, which kept online-focused racers away. Fisher suggested the newsgroup was a GPL club, which led to sniping, and a side debate compared web forums with Usenet.
How well do sims model the clutch? 2001-12-13 · 29 posts
R Keating asked whether sims model clutch slip and engine stalls well enough to justify a clutch pedal. Replies said F1 2001, F1 Racing Championship, Viper Racing and NASCAR Heat model stalls and analogue clutches, while N4's clutch feels like a switch. Christopher Rossie recalled push-starting Jochen Rindt's car at Watkins Glen around 1967, and the thread drifted into model engines running backwards.
FIA GT mod version 2 for F1 2001: track bump complaints 2002-02-09 · 27 posts
Douglas Ellison said version 2 of the FIA GT mod for F1 2001 was let down by overly bumpy, low-polygon tracks that made GT cars take off at Eau Rouge, something that had not happened in version 1. Ian Bell of SimBin agreed some tracks, such as Brooklands, were overdone, and others suggested setup changes could absorb the bumps. Side discussions covered why Ian's setups use minimal fuel, F1 2001's clumsy setup saving, and the film Taxi.
F1 2001 shipped without force feedback support 2001-11-04 · 26 posts
A buyer complained that EA's F1 2001 did not support his new force feedback wheel. Others said an FF patch was expected around mid-November, and debated how much FF matters. A sub-thread covered missing rear-view mirror cars with newer nVidia drivers and whether players should roll back to older drivers for one game.
F1 2001 graphics corruption on a Radeon 2001-12-08 · 26 posts
Ice D reported severe graphical corruption running F1 2001 on a friend's Radeon with Omega drivers. Suggestions included checking display settings, trying refresh rates and doing a full ATI driver purge and reinstall, which had fixed similar 'belt' artefacts for Sideshow Bob. The thread descended into ribbing between Voodoo5 and Radeon owners.
Defence of F1 2001 and the Relay online service 2001-10-24 · 26 posts
Joe Murphy defended F1 2001 as a well-modelled sim, mocking those who could not get it running. Many agreed it was worth tweaking for, while others noted that hardware variation makes problems real for some users. Relay Games announced that its online service now supported F1 2001.
Why are F1 2001's controller settings so confusing? 2001-12-18 · 26 posts
Ice D asked why a game as good as F1 2001 shipped with such troublesome controller configuration. Some blamed confusing menus, a lack of usability testing or wheel drivers, while Haqsau explained that 'speed sensitivity' is often mistaken for steering sensitivity and gave settings that fixed wandering steering for several users. Posters shared their X-axis and speed-sensitivity values.
Angry rant calling F1 2001 garbage 2001-10-23 · 25 posts
A poster ranted about EA's startup logos, F1 2001's performance with current drivers and the lack of 22-player online racing. Others mocked the rant, linked a skip-movies patch, and reported good performance on various systems, with later posts sharing working configurations such as windowed mode with recent drivers.
F1 2001 much improved with older Nvidia drivers 2001-10-06 · 24 posts
Iain Mackenzie reported that reverting to Nvidia 12.90 drivers transformed F1 2001's graphics and performance, and others praised its sound and physics. Colin Harris quoted the readme stating that Voodoo 1-3, Permedia 3 and S3 Savage cards are not supported, frustrating Voodoo 3 owners. Posters debated whether a single game justified upgrading hardware.
Has F1 2001 united the newsgroup? 2001-10-09 · 23 posts
Iain Mackenzie remarked that almost everyone agreed F1 2001 was the best modern F1 sim. Most owners agreed once driver problems were solved, though some noted the lack of AI in multiplayer and telemetry. Ian P struggled to get split-axis pedals working, which became a troubleshooting discussion.
Logitech MOMO calibration problems in F1 2001 2001-12-06 · 23 posts
A new MOMO owner reported pedals disappearing and calibration problems in F1 2001. Andre Warringa said the disappearing pedals seemed to be an F1 2001 bug fixed by returning to the menu, and recommended the new Wingman 4.11c drivers, which include an off-centre fix and squash-ball pedal registry settings, plus DXDeadzone to remove DirectX dead zones.
F1 Racing Championship or F1 Championship Season 2000? 2001-09-08 · 23 posts
Tim Deatherage asked which F1 sim suited his Pentium III 450 and Voodoo 3. Most advised waiting for EA's F1 2001, said to have a more efficient graphics engine. John Bodin criticised F1RC's glass-smooth tracks and uncommunicative physics, while David G Fisher and Tony Rickard said it gave the best feel, and posters agreed that wheel range and controller settings strongly shape how a sim feels.
One-line claim that F1RC beats F1 2001 2001-10-11 · 23 posts
Paulo Leao posted that F1 Racing Championship was better than F1 2001 in every respect, and regulars treated it as a troll and mocked it. A minor debate followed over whether F1 2001's 200 Hz physics rate alone proves better physics, with John Bodin saying its parameters also suggested sophistication.
GP3 versus F1 2001 after the patch 2001-11-27 · 23 posts
A poster asked whether anyone still ran GP3 and how it compared with F1 2001. STP said F1 2001 was better in every way except weather, especially with the new force-feedback patch, while others preferred GP3 2000's telemetry, replays, AI and tyre feel. A GP3 hotlap Hall of Fame site was recommended.
F1 2001 PS2 movie and John Bodin's PC preview 2001-08-21 · 23 posts
A movie of EA's F1 2001 for PS2 impressed readers with its graphics, including a pit board crew member. John Bodin said he was previewing a PC beta for Blackhole Motorsports and that it ran twice as fast as F1 Championship Season 2000, and promised to test force feedback. Later posters asked what had happened to the preview.
Best Nvidia driver version for F1 2001 2001-10-22 · 22 posts
MadDAWG asked which Nvidia driver works best with F1 2001 on a GeForce2. Answers varied widely across the 7.52, 12.90, 21.83 and 6.xx versions, with differing needs for windowed mode or FRAPS and problems such as missing mirrors. It was reported that ISI knew of the 12.xx to 21.xx issues and planned a fix in a patch.
F1 2001 for-sale post sparks insults 2002-01-04 · 22 posts
Joel Willstein offered his copy of F1 2001 for sale. EldredP suggested returning it to the store, David G Fisher called that dishonest, and the thread descended into insults between Fisher and Rob Adams, mixed with jokes about the F1 2002 typo.
Programmer calls F1 2001 garbage over driver problems 2001-10-24 · 22 posts
Alan Coates argued that EA expected customers to fix its programming because no GeForce3 driver ran F1 2001 stably. Replies were dismissive or pointed to working setups, and Coates later found it ran well on a Voodoo 5 machine. David G Fisher reminded readers that GPL and NR4 also had hardware and copy-protection troubles at release.

Busiest threads

F1 2001 versus GPL: which has better physics? (40 posts about it)
Poor first impressions of F1 2001, later reversed (37 posts about it)
F1 2001 beta patch adds force feedback (24 posts about it)
Self-described EA tester trashes F1 2001 PC (23 posts about it)
Honest opinions on whether F1 2001 is worth buying (22 posts about it)
Is there a patch for F1 Racing Championship? (21 posts about it)
Why are F1 2001's controller settings so confusing? (19 posts about it)
Fixing sloppy Momo wheel steering in F1 2001 (17 posts about it)
TSW2 wheel jitter on SB Live gameport and fixes (17 posts about it)
Damien Smith's critical view of F1 2001 (17 posts about it)
F1 2001 praised, with multiplayer and control issues (16 posts about it)
Fixing F1 2001's DirectX 8 error on a Voodoo5 (15 posts about it)
F1 2002 Wish List (15 posts about it)
GP3 versus F1 2001 after the patch (15 posts about it)
Has F1 2001 united the newsgroup? (15 posts about it)

Sentiment by year

Each post that discussed the sim was rated from −2 (very negative) to +2 (very positive).

Year	Posts	Positive	Negative	Tone
2000	49	14	3	positive (+0.24)
2001	1,628	511	313	mixed (+0.19)
2002	2,021	521	398	mixed (+0.11)
2003	124	17	18	mixed (-0.02)
2004	28	3	3	mixed (-0.04)
2005	17	2	4	mixed (-0.18)
2006	3	1	0	positive (+0.33)