July 16, 2021
The wait is finally over â F1 2021 is here! The brand-new official Formula 1 Game, developed by Codemasters and for the first time, EA Sports, hits store shelves around the world today, Friday July 16.
The gameâs launch coincides with a sold-out British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone, meaning fans at the track and back at home will have plenty of activities to keep them entertained!
Whatâs New?
F1 2021 comes with a bumper list of features, game modes and tweaks from previous years. There really has never been more to do in an F1 game, from a brand new story mode to an enriched multiplayer experience.
Itâs also the first F1 game to be released on the new generation of consoles: Xbox One Series X, and PlayStation 5. Both platforms offer the juiciest graphics, crunchiest car damage, and speediest loading screens around, so if youâre lucky enough to own one of these consoles, youâre in for a treat. That said, the game still performs fantastically on Xbox One/S, PS4, and of course PC.
Real-Season Start is another immersive mode which lets players in Career mode step in for one of the 20 Formula 1 drivers at any point in the season, and attempt to alter the course of history. At the time of writing, Max Verstappen leads the championship, 32 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The choice is yours â play as Verstappen and build your lead, play as Hamilton and hunt him down, or pick someone completely different and come through as a plucky underdog. Real-Season Start will update throughout the 2021 F1 season, so you can get the same history-changing experience no matter when you jump in.
Story Mode(s)
There are so many ways to immerse yourself in a season in F1 2021. The aforementioned Braking Point puts you in the shoes of Aiden Jackson, and sees you participate in an epic, engrossing story with characters that perfectly illustrate the euphoria and heartbreak of racing. Cutscenes, dramatic moments and the guy we love to hate, Devon Butler, make this an unmissable way to play the F1 game.
Career mode is back with double the fun, as you can now forge a two-player career mode, either co-operatively as team mates, or competitively as you vie for the championship. Create your driver, pick a team, and race however you want! Difficulty settings can be fine-tuned, and you can choose championship calendars and session lengths to suit your needs. The F2 career mode is also present, so you can race as one of F1âs Stars of Tomorrow too.
For a quick fix, Grand Prix mode has you covered, where you can race on any of the 21 tracks in game to your heartâs content. This track list includes venues which were planned to feature on the calendar, including Melbourne, Montreal, and Shanghai. And in DLC news, fans will be delighted to hear that Imola, Portimao and Jeddah will all come to the game as post-launch content!
Legend-wait-for-it-dary
MyTeam Mode is beefier than ever in 2021, with you put in control of your own team with the hopes of making it to the top. You can change just about everything in terms of your teamâs look and feel, and there are some awesome options for your team mate too. In the Deluxe Edition of the game, you can select a team mate from not only the drivers of Formula 1 and Formula 2, but also one of seven legendary racers, if you can negotiate a contract. These are: Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Felipe Massa. Who would you have by your side?
Higher or Lower?
F1 2020 brought driver ratings to the franchise for the first time, and theyâve been refreshed and updated for this season. This includes ratings for the four drivers who werenât part of the championship last season; Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Nikita Mazepin, and Mick Schumacher. We had a lot of fun asking the Alfa Romeo, Williams and AlphaTauri drivers to guess each otherâs ratings, which you can check out below! You can also see the full list of ratings here.
All eyes on you, Pro Championship
Of course, a new F1 game means a new platform for our F1 Esports Series. This yearâs Pro Championship will see the new game running in its most competitive form, and we canât wait to get going. As in 2020, our elite racers will utilise a unique build, with 35% race distance hitting a happy medium of strategy and sprint.
Weâve got big plans for the 2021 Pro Championship, and while we canât confirm too much yet, keep an eye out for a new-look calendar which balances classics and contemporary favourites. The Pro Championship gets going later this year in October, so stay tuned for updates!
In summary, F1 2021 offers more game modes, customisability, immersion, and good old-fashioned fun than ever before. Click here to get your hands on a copy!