F1 2022 Hands-On Preview – Malleable Racing Bliss
Thanks to the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, the fervor surrounding Formula 1–the world’s premiere racing category–has rarely been stronger. The sport has seen a huge influx of new fans, enjoying not only some of the best racing the sport has seen in over a decade, but also injecting a lot more meaning into the relationships between its teams and drivers off the track. In F1 2022, the latest entry in the franchise developed by custodians Codemasters, a delicate balance of catering to this new audience while also offering enhancements to returning simulation racing fans is evident and, based on some limited time I’ve had with the game, it seems to strike it quite well.
In the preview version of F1 2022, I had access to all 10 teams and 20 cars on the grid along with five tracks to race on: the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (or Imola as its more commonly known), Silverstone in Great Britain, the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and the latest addition to the F1 calendar, the Miami International Autodrome. All five were available for racing in both Grand Prix and Time Trial events, with the Grand Prix weekend event featuring practice sessions, qualifying, and even Sprint races (or none, if you decide to edit the race weekend format directly).
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This is just a sliver of what Codemasters will be offering when the game launches in July. In addition, Career mode and My Team campaigns will return (although a narrative-focused mode akin to Braking Point last year isn’t returning) and feature the Formula 2 Championship again. Race weekends will also be expanded, with more of the fun events that take place in real-life–like hot laps with drivers and celebrities –as well as Drift, Autocross, and Average Speed Zone challenges that can be tackled with both a variety of supercars, including F1’s own safety cars, for the first time. There’s a lot planned for this entry that expands upon the familiar format of a Formula 1 weekend but still ties itself closely to the sport, not letting it tread too far into territory occupied by the likes of Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo but letting the overlap of players enjoy some variety regardless.
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