Golden Lap Is A Minimalistic ‘70s-Inspired Take On F1 Manager

There’s a new F1 Manager game on the horizon but, for some, that series may just be a little too complex and modern. If that’s you, there’s an alternative coming that might just tickle your fancy.

Golden Lap is a new motorsport management game that’s been heavily inspired by, and set in, the ‘70s era of F1 (or the copyright-friendly “golden era of open-wheel racing”). Unlike F1 Manager, which has full 3D visuals and a comprehensive menu selection, Golden Lap is much more minimalist.

Most of the gameplay takes place from a top-down view of a track map with 2D dots. Anyone who’s played older versions of the Football Manager series might get a similar vibe. Details on the title are a little scarce at this point, but it doesn’t look to be a simple game to play, though - with management elements for pit strategy, setups and how a driver should approach a race.

Off track, you’ll be responsible for managing your team’s budget, staff and sponsor relations - all the right ingredients for a decent management game.

Funselektor Labs is the studio behind the title with a track record of producing minimalist racing games before this. Its first was Absolute Drift, which had you sliding a definitely-not-a-Toyota AE86 from a top-down view in a sandbox world which was followed by Group B-inspired third-person Art of Rally.

Funselektor founder Dune Casue said: “After two releases with Absolute Drift and Art of Rally, we wanted to try something different while staying true to our passion for racing.

“We’re taking that opportunity with Golden Lap, which serves as a throwback to one of the most iconic eras of motorsport when it was exciting and dangerous in equal measure, teams were experimenting with designs, and drivers were notorious both on and off the track.”

There’s no release date yet for Golden Lap, though it is due for arrival on PC in 2024 with a Steam page now live. No word yet on a console port, but Funselektor’s titles have previously found their way onto Xbox and PlayStation down the line.