The Top 8 Formula 1 Video Games, Both Online and Offline, for the Thrill of Playing

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Photo: F1 24 video game (screenshot youtube.com/@whatthevic)

Formula 1 is thrilling, fast, and dramatic. Fast single-seater race cars storming across picturesque racetracks aren’t the only variable in this sport. Developers of Formula 1 video games are therefore under a great deal of pressure to produce a realistic experience that honors the sport. Fortunately, Codemasters, which is now part of Electronic Arts (EA) and was under Take-Two Interactive in between, has fulfilled this obligation admirably and produced some of the greatest Formula 1 video games ever made. The quality of this video game company’s F1 games has even allowed real-life F1 stars to compete in eSports events and practice their talents on the simulator.

But not all the work produced by EA’s (or Codemasters’) studios is flawless. F1 fans have been pleading with other developers to take up the official Formula 1 video game after a number of lackluster installments, such as F1 2014 and F1 22. Given the publisher’s history of destroying profitable properties to increase profits (does anyone remember the Need for Speed franchise?), the situation since the purchase of Electronic Arts has been challenging.

Nevertheless, we’re here to talk about the gems that have been launched along with the terrible releases. We go back in time and look at the best Formula 1 games ever played, spanning more than 10 years of changing rules.

# 8 F1 2016

The core concept for the current-generation Formula 1 games from EA Codemasters was established by F1 2016. The follow-up to its disastrous predecessors brought back a strong Career Mode design that prioritized a new driver’s advancement; failure to reach your objectives in a game may result in a layoff.

The game allowed the player to control key occurrences like pit entry, race starts, and the formation lap while accurately simulating the handling of the 2016 narrow-body Formula One cars. Another notable feature of this computer game was the Safety Car, which altered the course of a lengthy race.

The F1 2016 PC and console versions were fantastic, but Codemasters managed to bring the same experience to the iOS and Android platforms.

# 7 F1 2021

Although the 2021 Formula 1 season is remembered for its dramatic conclusion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it also happened to be the year that, despite EA’s acquisition of Codemasters — leading to a transitional period — fans received a feature-rich F1 game. With enhanced visuals for the latest generation of consoles, F1 2021 was simply an enhancement over the fantastic F1 2020.

With the addition of a narrative-driven Braking Point story mode, the game started to resemble Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive. In this mode, you take on the role of a novice and battle against a seasoned colleague (maybe inspired by Zhou Guanyu—Kimi Raikonnen?) and a devilish competitor from a different squad. Unfortunately, the creators faced a lot of criticism for failing to update the circuits to the most recent specifications, particularly following the thrilling but contentious conclusion in which Max Verstappen won his first world title.

# 6 F1 2017

For the majority of the 2017 Formula 1 season, Mercedes and Ferrari engaged in several exciting on-track clashes. F1 2017 from Codemasters did a fantastic job of encapsulating that essence for its younger players and included a sophisticated new career mode that is still a mainstay of EA Codemasters’ F1 titles today.

The game eliminated all of the unnecessary frills that plagued its later editions and concentrated just on racing. It featured classic Formula One cars that were used in the Career Mode’s Invitational Events, providing thrilling challenges.

F1 2017 needs to be on your list of classic games to play if you enjoy the enormous, haloless Formula One cars from the 2017 season.

# 5 F1 2013

For those who continue to hope for a comeback of specific non-hybrid powerhouses, F1 2013 is a must-play since it was the final year of the V8 era. F1 2013, which included the race teams, vehicles, and circuits from the 2013 season, featured attractive visuals and noticeable handling enhancements.

Simultaneously, a Classic Edition of the game was launched, which included old circuits that saw some of the most famous on-track confrontations in the sport’s history, as well as vintage Formula One cars from the 1980s and 1990s. The in-game commentary was voiced by the renowned former F1 broadcaster Murray Walker.

# 4 F1 2011

F1 2011 takes place during the sport’s heyday when cars with roaring V8 engines tore across picturesque racetracks all over the world. F1 2011 is the game to play if you’re a fan of Sebastian Vettel and want to experience his dominance of the grid again. F1 2011 is still entertaining for a racing game based on an old-school gaming engine. Even though the handling may not be realistic or incredibly precise, the racing action is unmatched for a video game of its era.

All 19 of the 2011 season’s circuits were included in the game, even the brand-new Buddha International Circuit, which played host to the Indian Grand Prix. In the current era of Formula One games, the game introduced the Safety Car and Red Flag concepts. In order to support your argument while achieving extremely high speeds, you also possessed KERS and DRS as tools.

# 3 F1 Manager 23

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team manager, rather than Lewis Hamilton? You’ll have that experience in F1 Manager 23.

The game allows you to assume the role of a team principal and concentrate on the situations outside the track, rather than placing you in the cockpit of a fire-breathing monster. This game puts you in charge of everything, from hiring new employees for your automobile development team to resolving problems in the marketing division. As the head of the team, you also get to monitor your drivers’ race plans and make adjustments as they compete for points.

Because it’s a strategy-based game, it’s best suited for players who have a strong interest in the sport.

# 2 F1 2020

F1 2020, Codemasters’ final Formula 1 game before the studio was acquired by Electronic Arts, is widely regarded as the greatest Formula 1 racing game ever created for PC and consoles.

F1 2020 added the Team Owner/Driver path into the Career Mode, in contrast to its predecessors, which were essentially reskinned jobs. You may start at the rear of the grid and manage the car and team development, as well as hire a talented second driver to score more points, rather than driving for an existing squad.

In addition, this game included a full-fledged Formula 2 championship, vintage F1 cars from the V10 and V12 eras, and great racers from previous seasons like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. The racing experience was realistic, and the driving model was much enhanced. We strongly advise giving this a try because the 2020 season included the quickest Formula One vehicles we have ever seen.

# 1 F1 23

Declaring the second-to-last Formula 1 gaming title, or the last title that rounded the whole year of its existence, to be the greatest of the bunch may appear like a hastily completed assignment. But until F1 24 reaches a one-year lifespan, at least, F1 23 is currently among the greatest Formula 1 experiences available on PC and consoles.

With its realistic handling, finely detailed tracks, and excellent physics engine, EA’s F1 23 celebrates the 2023 season of Formula 1 cars and provides an exciting racing experience. Driving Fernando Alonso’s stunning Aston Martin AMR23 or Max Verstappen’s championship-winning Red Bull RB19 allows you to compete against a field of fiercely competitive AI drivers while navigating the Safety Car and red lights.

While the F1 Life online lobby allows you to hang around and race your F1 vehicles against a grid of online opponents, Braking Point 2 revives the story mode from F1 2021. Whether you want to be a driver for an existing Formula One team or a new team owner/driver combination, starting from the back, midfield, or front, the career mode is well-structured. Although there aren’t any vintage vehicles here, you may take part in the Pirelli Hot Laps in a few really intricate supercars. Additionally, you can race Formula 2 vehicles in both quick race and Career Mode.

Why We Didn’t List F1 Fantasy?

While listing the best F1 video games ever, we purposefully omitted F1 Fantasy. As you may (or may not) know, fantasy sports differ from sports video games in many segments. The fundamental reason that fantasy titles differ from video games is that they aren’t played physically. They are similar to placing bets on Formula 1 betting sites. You pick a favorite and hope it will win (and give you money, in case of betting).

In F1 Fantasy, you enter a competition with friends (or strangers) at the start of the Formula One season. After that, you choose drivers according to your budget. In reality, you can choose between two constructors and five drivers. Only one of the three teams you can form will be taken into account when calculating your league standings. Following driver selection, you are paired with the players you selected to compete against the drivers and teams your opponent selected in a hypothetical race. The picked teams and players are given a point value based on their performance. The driver/constructor with the most points at the end of a race wins. After that, you face another player in the league, and so on, until all races are gone and the season is over. You can trade players, buy or sell, between races.