Codemasters has confirmed the leak: seven legendary drivers will be available as My Team teammates in F1 2021. They will be exclusive to the Deluxe Edition of the game.
Photo credit: Codemasters
+++ Update 17 May, 5.45 PM CEST +++
Only a few hours after the leak, the official Twitter page of the official Formula 1 game series confirmed that seven iconic drivers will be featured in the upcoming F1 2021. Earlier that Monday, a video was posted on the official Formula 1 website advertising this feature and removed within minutes. The legends are seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Brazilian world champion Ayrton Senna, French master strategist Alain Prost, British ace Jenson Button, 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, and former racers David Coulthard and Felipe Massa.
Who will you choose?
— Formula 1® Game (@Formula1game) May 17, 2021
Seven iconic drivers. All part of #F12021game‘s digital Deluxe.
⭐️ Michael @Schumacher
⭐️ @ayrtonsenna
⭐️ @Prost_official
⭐️ @JensonButton
⭐️ @NicoRosberg
⭐️ @therealdcf1
⭐️ @MassaFelipe19
Get a closer look: https://t.co/ScRxMNli2B pic.twitter.com/OjwonOUpcN
The seven exceptional personalities will exclusively be available to owners of the Deluxe edition. Each of them can be chosen for your roster in the My Team mode, and boasts crazy stats to boost the overall performance of your team. The Deluxe edition also offers extra PitCoin which you can spend on in-game purchases, a set of customisation items, an in-game item pack and three days early access.
+++ Original news from 17 May, 2 PM CEST +++
In a video which was briefly visible on the official Formula 1 website today on May 17, the seven legendary drivers that will likely be available as teammates in F1 2021’s My Team mode were revealed. Among them, these drivers have amassed grand total of sixteen championships, and near-countless race wins. The video was quickly removed after only a few minutes, but we have some of the key information for you right here.
Legends of the Past
Three of the most famous drivers ever to compete in the sport were part of the illustrious list. Michael Schumacher is the first. Seven drivers championships to his name, Schumacher is known for his combination of relentless pace and ruthless determination which earned him so much success.
Alongside him are the classic stars of the eighties and nineties, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. With three and four championships respectively, this pairing was the dominant force in Formula 1 in their day. Famously competitive, the rivalry between the two has reached near mythic proportions since the tragic death of Senna back in 1994. According to the video Senna has been given an overall rating of ninety-four, using the same driver rating system as F1 2020. This puts him directly on par with Lewis Hamilton, a driver with whom Senna has been compared countless times.
Recent History
Most of the other available legends competed in the sport rather more recently than the likes of Prost and Senna. Felipe Massa, the man who was so nearly champion back in 2008, has been given an overall rating of eighty-six according to the video, with some very solid all-around stats.
Two recent champions also look primed to join the line-up, in the forms of Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg. Button won his title in 2009 for Brawn, and raced his last Formula 1 race in 2017 for McLaren. Rosberg is best known for his dramatic rivalry with his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. The German got the better of Hamilton in 2016 to claim his one and only drivers championship, and for achieving such a feat, he is lauded among the greats of the sport.
The seventh and final former driver likely to be added is the Scotsman David Coulthard. Coulthard had the misfortune to spend his most competitive years competing against the likes of Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher, but he nevertheless managed a respectable thirteen wins during his time in the sport. He has been given a rating of eighty-seven, one above Felipe Massa.
It appears that these drivers will be available with the deluxe edition of F1 2021, rather than being a part of the base game content. More information will be available when the full announcement drops.
Who will you choose as your teammate in F1 2021? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
