PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC; Codemasters/EA Sports
The first F1 game to let you pursue a multi-season career as any of the current drivers is more true-to-life than ever – and the best chance of ending Max Verstappen’s reign
Until the last few races, in which Ferrari and McLaren have emerged as contenders, Formula One has been stuck in a stultifying rut due to Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s complete dominance. Happily, a means of rewriting F1 history exists, in the form of the annual officially licensed F1 game, developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports.
This year’s iteration gives Formula One fans their best chance yet to free the sport from Verstappen’s hegemony: it’s the first F1 game that lets you pursue an entire multi-season career as any of the current 20 real-life drivers. Finally, avid fans can, through sheer driving skill, depose Verstappen while enhancing the reputation of their favourite driver. I decided to play as Alex Albon, one of the nicest guys in F1 (who also has one of the weakest teammates: the game rewards you for winning such rivalries), and, by dialling down the difficulty levels, my version of Albon has already graced the top step of the podium, even in an uncompetitive Williams.