With just over a week to go (or less) until F1 2020 arrives, Codemasters has revealed some more information about the variety of features the game will include.
We’ve already heard plenty about the new driver-manager feature “My Team”. This unsurprisingly features heavily in the clip you’ll see at the end, but it’s something already covered in detail. However, there’s a host of other new details and features that F1 2020 will bring too.
The career mode will start you off in F2 before dunking you into a ten-year stint in the top tier, but you can choose how much time you want to invest in this stage. Players can opt for a full 24-race season (12 feature and 12 sprint), a shorter six-race season (all feature races), or a three-race taster — or skip straight to F1. Your F2 showing will affect how teams may view you as a potential F1 driver, and a free update later this year will bring the 2020 F2 grid to the game.
Once in F1 you can take advantage of a new contract system that allows you to sell your services to the highest bidder, and advance your career. You can negotiate contracts with several teams at once, if you’re particularly mercenary. Like F2, you can also adjust the season length in F1, from the full 22-race calendar to shorter 16- and 10-race options.
As you progress through your career you’ll be able to unlock customizable items, from car liveries to podium celebrations, in a system called Podium Pass. You’ll need to meet certain requirements by hitting challenges, and earning XP. There’s an optional “VIP” upgrade to this — unlocked in the first season for players who pre-ordered the game — with even more items. That might suggest a possible application for microtransactions, though this hasn’t been confirmed.
There’s a number of new driving assists for players to make use of depending on their skill level. A new steering assist will give a helping hand to those that need it, and Codemasters has simplified the ERS system to make it a single-button operation.
In addition, F1 2020 has a customizable on-screen display. According to the official information, players will be able to move information items to wherever they like on the screen — which we presume also includes turning them off. There’s a new virtual rear-view mirror too, to help with the visibility issues innate to F1 cars.
Although it’s not clear how they’ll fit in, the new trailer also features classic F1 cars. The keen-eyed will spot several different cars from Benetton, Williams, Ferrari, McLaren, and one-season wonder Brawn.
F1 2020 will launch on July 10 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, with the Deluxe Schumacher Edition arriving three days earlier. PS4 players with F1 2019 can get 10% off by pre-ordering through the in-game news section.
