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Formula One’s official game is now in full release for the 2021 season. Codemasters has brought a full story mode and another annual round of improvements. But is it enough to justify the upgrade from 2020?

F1 2021 is the latest installment of the F1 series from developer Codemasters, and the first under their new Electronic Arts parent company. This year’s edition is hardly an overhaul, but it does build on the strengths of previous titles in the series and delivers a solid gaming experience. Below is our review of F1 2021 for PC.

Intro to 2021​

Codemasters has some highlighted some of the new or improved features for 2021:
  • Braking Point – A new story mode focused on rivalries and relationships both on and off the track
  • Two-Player Career – You and an IRL friend can compete as a team or against each other in Career mode
  • Real-Season Start – Jump into a season based on current standings in Formula One and drive the remainder of the season
  • Updated Driver Stats – Drivers’ statistics have been updated based on recent real-world performance
  • Casual, Standard and Expert Modes – Get as in-depth as you’d like with various modes that determine the amount of input required from the player

Graphics​

Graphically, the F1 series has essentially stagnated, albeit at a very visually appealing level. F1 2021 can be stunning to look at, just don’t expect to experience those looks in VR or triple screens natively. The game carries heavy console influence in its presentation, so playing on a single screen is how it was meant to be enjoyed.

Various graphics level presets and customization options are present, and the visual presentation can range from good to near lifelike. F1 2021 is not unusually strenuous on graphics cards either, so sustaining good frame rates across various tiers of video cards should be possible.

Sounds​

Codemasters has been tasked with recreating arguably the worst sounding F1 cars in history, so don’t expect the core gameplay to wow you with engine notes. Classic F1 cars like the F2004 and its screaming V10 like we’ve seen in previous years aren’t present here, so the F1 and F2 sounds are all users can expect to hear.

Credit should be given though to the secondary sounds. Added touches like the DRS beep, radio calls, broadcast music, and commentary are all essential to creating the ambiance and immersion we’ve come to expect from the series, and once again it’s delivered well.

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Content​

The F1 games’ annual release format has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 schedule adjustments in the real-world race series. Codemasters has been unable to keep up with the comparatively short notice changes to the F1 calendar, and in some cases tracks that will be raced on this season are missing altogether in F1 2021.

Also on the content front, the classic F1 cars are conspicuously absent this time around. Drivers like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher can be acquired in-game, but not their cars. Granted, the classic F1 cars from previous years have been viewed by some as a sales gimmick, but more content variety in a racing title that features only two series should always be welcomed. The game does include the full 2020 F2 series cars in addition to all of the 2021 F1 cars, however.

All of the scheduled tracks for the 2021 Formula One calendar are present here. As we’ve seen, that calendar is undergoing significant changes. Some of the tracks are starting to show their age as well, and new laser scans would be a welcome update for future titles in the series.

Multiplayer​

It took only a few hours after the game was released before aliens starting flexing on social media with impressive hotlaps in F1 2021. This continues to be a key part of the online experience in F1 games. Only a few days removed from official release, a 1:30.000 lap at Silverstone won’t even land you in the top 10,000 in the world. This speaks both to the popularity and the talent level of the player base.

Of course, online racing is a big part of the series as well. F1 2021 offers gamers plenty of opportunity to jump into an online race thanks to solid player counts. Those online races are subject to rammers like previous titles, and expect to find the most well-populated races to be held at Monza, Spa and Silverstone.

Single Player​

F1 2021’s most highly touted addition this year is Braking Point. Braking Point is a full story mode, putting players in control of a character that progresses from Formula 2 into a career in Formula 1. Players will be responsible not only for winning races, but also controlling relationships off the track. This mode is well done and should serve as an intriguing entry point for those who have been pulled into the sport by Netflix’s popular and drama-rich Drive to Survive series.

The Braking Point story is obviously geared toward those looking to commit to this title over a longer period, but for those looking to use F1 2021 for casual offline races, Codemasters hasn’t left you hanging. The AI you race against shows excellent awareness, and computer-controlled cars will fight you hard to hold their current positions.

The Real-Start feature is impressive too, allowing players to jump in to the current F1 season as it stands and finish out the calendar. It’s another nicely done level of immersion in the title, but of course it won’t matter after the season finishes.

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User Interface​

Again this year, Codemasters doesn’t allow PC users to navigate menus with a mouse. Most of the menus are reasonably well laid out, but recurring issues such as the escape key not exiting you from menu screens are still present. The interface appears to be unchanged beyond cosmetic details in this edition.

Driving Physics and Force Feedback​

This year’s F1 title likely won’t change the minds of fans or critics of the series concerning the driving experience. The cars behave nicely overall, though low speed corners tend to produce a crunchy understeer effect that feels unnatural given the capabilities of the car. It does feel nicely hooked up around fast sections like the Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel complex or through Eau Rouge and feels reasonably nimble around medium speed corners.

The force feedback feels about the same as previous years. It’s sufficient to give you some idea of when the car is beyond its traction limits, though it doesn’t have the detailed road bumps and tire scrub that we find in higher end racing simulations. It often feels like your car is floating rather than connected to the road by soft rubber. It’s not any worse than what we’ve come to expect based on previous years, but unfortunately not any better either.

One final note on the handling is that the rain driving feels great. It gives a good sense of reduced traction without feeling overdone, and the curbs can be either benign or problematic depending on the angle and speed you attack them with.

Overall​

Codemasters has done enough this year to pique the interest of returning fans of the series, but nothing in this title is particularly groundbreaking for owners of recent editions. The Braking Point story mode is an interesting and well-done feature, likely most suited to new fans of the F1 game series or those who are new to the sport in general.

F1 2021 carries on a tried-and-true formula Codies has utilized for this series and haven’t pushed themselves past their comfort zone. The fun we’ve come to expect from the series is present once again. Hardcore sim racers should temper their expectations before diving in to F1 2021, but for as amusing romp racing alongside some of the most famous race drivers in the world, this title has a lot to offer. If you weren’t a fan of F1 2019 or 2020, the returning features and characteristics will likely have you feeling the same about 2021.

Next year should prove interesting in this series given the new car regulations. Between having a new parent company and Formula One undergoing significant changes, that comfort zone is soon to be broken. For now, Codemasters has played within their abilities and delivered another fun and competent title. It does enough to justify the upgrade for most fans of the series, and the new story mode makes this a great time for those new to the series to jump in.

Did you buy F1 2021? Let us know in the comments below what your impressions are so far and make sure to submit your own rating and be sure to check out our rapidly growing F1 2021 modding section and vibrant community forum.

Note: Reviewed on PC with a wheel and pedals.
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Latest reviews

Pros: -The AI is hard as hell. I used to race on 105 in 2020, now I'm around 90 on this game. Even if it's partly because I'm still transitioning to this game, it's still easy to tell that this is definitely harder.

-The AI is also very racy here. They are aggressive and punchy, and it's legitimately fun to compete with them.

-It's great that the kerbs aren't just extra parts of the track now, you will be punished heavily if you abuse them now.

-The game does look somewhat better than its predecessor, though the differences are minor.

-Braking Point is a good first attempt at a story mode, even though there is certainly stuff left on the table for CM to add to in the future.

-Quick Practice is an absolute god-send, and the practice programs, in general, are definitely improved over the last game.

-While the single player career and MyTeam career haven't been changed much, they're still just as fun as last year.

-There are also some minor improvements and cool gimmicks:
-Plenty of the tracks have had minor overhauls (Suzuka is easily the most noticeable overhaul),
-I like the halo stickers and victory calls, they're nice little additions.
-I think it's cool that they have the actual TV intro in the game intro
-Real Season Start is a nice addition.
-The new career options are all good additions and it helps you nail down the experience you want out of the game.
-The belated addition of random (?) mechanical failures is great.
-MAHAVEER RAGHUNATHAN LIVES ON!
Cons: -The team performances are how they were in 2020 and that means that the Mercedes is far too ahead of the Red Bull, while AM is even more out of place as the third-best car.

-The cars are also a lot faster than they are in real life.

-The handling in the high-speed corners is a nightmare.
Silverstone, in particular, is a nightmare. I run a lot of wing angle and I still cannot get one lap without horrendous oversteer. It's kind of weird that in a game where the cars are so much faster than real life I can't take certain corners flat out while the real-life cars can.

-Braking Point is definitely on the easy side.

-It's also really annoying that the kerbs aren't just extra parts of the track now, as you will be punished heavily if you abuse them now.

-The game feels kind of barren content-wise.
It's understandable that the new tracks and F2 2021 are delayed (the new F2 seasons have always been delayed, and it would have been nigh on impossible for CM to make three brand new tracks on short notice).
However, I don't really understand why CM had to remove classic cars and short tracks, especially considering that Canada and China are both in the game despite neither track holding a race in the last two years. I'd be lying if I said that I used the classic cars or short tracks that much, but to remove them just feels pointless.
It's also silly that CM couldn't let us use the 2020 F1 cars outside of Braking Point. It's kind of ridiculous that they took the time to adapt last year's cars, and only used those cars for half of a relatively short story mode.

-The livery editor is still lacking. I do not understand how CM hasn't added something more comprehensive than a glorified paint shop.
While F1 2021 is lacking in some areas, it's generally a well rounded simcade game that's got plenty to offer to people who either liked the last few F1 games or people looking for a competent simcade game.
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Pros: - Graphics: Any way you look at it, the F1 games have been looking fantastic for a few years now, and F1 2021 is no exception. This is particularly noticeable in night races.

- Atmosphere: No other sim or game will come close to the way F1 reproduces the feel of a race weekend or a championship.

- Accessibility: Controller and wheel users alike will feel at home. Complete beginners have a variety of assists to choose from, with everything turned off, the cars are a challenge to drive and extract maximum pace out of them.

- Braking Point: The all-new story mode is very captivating, focusing around the careers of young Aidan Jackson and veteran Casper Akkerman.
MyTeam: Anyone who has ever dreamt of having their own F1 team or has drawn up their own F1 cars as a kid will love this mode. The best part is: You get to decide how deep the you want to dive in - the player can do all the managment and development himself or turn off some parts of the mode to focus on the driving part.

- Multiplayer: A broad base of players means no lack of multiplayer servers.

- AI: If you are looking for an offline experience, the AI helps massively with that. They are very aware of you, defend and attack, and make mistakes as well - I have been turned into pretty blatantly at times, but that happens in real life as well.
Cons: - No mouse steering in menus: A PC exclusive problem - it is impossible to navigate menus using your mouse. Finding out what button on your wheel does what can be infuriating at times.

- Missing content: Unlike in previous years, no classic cars are present in the game. The 2019 F2 cars are only playable in the very first chapter of Braking Point, the 2020 F1 cars are exclusive to that mode at the moment as well. As of the release, only the 2021 F1 and 2020 F2 cars are available for single player modes, with the 2021 F2 cars set to be added later on. The same goes for tracks like Mugello, Imola and the new street circuit in Jeddah.

- Force Feedback bug: On Thrustmaster wheels, you will have to update your firmware every time you turn on your PC before the game's FFB will work with it. The wheel and pedals itself do work as intended if the firmware remains untouched, but there will be no feedback.

- Kerbs: They seem to be very slippery in a lot of places, so having to find out the hard way where you can and cannot go is a bit of an annoyance.
Having played F1 2021 for about 12 hours at the time of this review, I am positively suprised by the game - before '21, the most recent F1 game I played was 2014. I had seen lots of videos about the series in the meantime but always heard about how it would be too arcade-y, which is not the case. Sure, it is not a full sim, but if you want it to, it can be a real challenge.

The AI know how to race you, the cars need precise input but also quick reflexes when the back steps out (which it will if you're to trigger-happy with the throttle). The atmosphere of an F1 weekend is probably unmatched and will draw any F1 fan right in.

There are a lot of game modes on offer, which will keep players busy for quite a while. The new story mode Braking Point is very interesting and captivating - at least so far, since I am in the middle of the second F1 season. I was sceptical that it might be a bit of a cheesy story, but so far, it has done a great job in keeping me motivated to play.

A bit of a downside are the various oversights like the lack of mouse support in menus on PC, a bug which requires Thrustmaster wheel users to update their firmware each time they boot up their PC if they want their FFB to work and unreasonably slippery kerbs in some places. There is no historic content either, meaning classic cars are scrapped altogehter - which is a shame if you are an F1 history nerd like myself.

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Pros: The AI are the most fun to race they've ever been. They will defend, they will fight, they will attack. They are less afraid to be risky, and sometimes that will pay off for them, sometimes they will end up facing backwards They are good fun to race against.

The Braking Point story mode, if you're interested in that sort of stuff, is very, very well done. The writing is very good, the animations are also done well, and the scenarios they drop you in are good fun.

The sounds are better than ever in my opinion. There are probably still better sims out there, but the engines sound the best they ever have in my opinion.

The new customisation in Career Mode is a very good touch. Things like the rate you or the AI earn resource points or acclaim can now be adjusted (separate toggles for you and the AI, so you can make it easier or harder as you please). You can also increase or reduce the frequency of the safety car and AI engine failures, and random car failures for the player are included for the first time, and can also be adjusted or turned off. If you are a career mode player (like me), I see these as a game changer.
Cons: Braking Point is probably a little bit easy. Even on the hardest of the three settings, I could easily compete against the AI on a controller and complete all but one of the challenges first time.

MyTeam is pretty much the same as last year. If you aren't too bothered about the right branding or new tracks, then you would probably be fine sticking to MyTeam in F1 2020

There is still more to be done on the customisation side of the cars.

No VR. As someone on a controller this doesn't affect me in the slightest, but if it is a deal breaker for others then fair enough.

No mouse support. Again, I use a controller but I can understand why this could be annoying for others. Especially given all the effort they've gone through to refresh the menus this season.

Classic cars are gone. This may be a deal breaker for some, but Codies clearly feel they weren't getting enough engagement. The only reason they would have been worth keeping was if they added new ones. A they didn't, F1 2020 is still available will all the previous classic cars.
I've had the game a few days now as a casual, controller player. These are my first impressions.

I haven't yet tried Multiplayer or driver career so I can't comment on them, and as a controller player I don't feel like I'm in the best place to comment on the physics so I haven't. That said I do find the handling more 'fun' this year, and you can also definitely notice the lack of downforce compared to 2020.

I have given this a 3 out of five rating if you are not someone who plays these games religiously (as one of the games that is easier on a controller than say ACC or PC2, but more realistic than Forza or Dirt 5, I find myself on the F1 games a lot), but has previous versions. I would recommend it if it's on sale for more than about 40% off, for some possibly even more discounted. However, if you haven't played one of the titles in a long time and you are a big F1 fan, I would give this 4 out of 5.

Comments

As usual, same **** game with a terrible lack-of-simulation features/fbb/physics and lack of PC support features (mouse, triple screen, VR, etc...). Just slapped a logo with a new year with meaningless changes... Can't wait for the F1 license to be transferred to another studio.

You'll be waiting quite a long time: they have the license until 2025, with an option to extend for 2 more years, so expect to see RD review F1 2027 by EA...it is what it is.

I definitely get why these sell so well (and why sims by comparison don't): accessibility. I would love an F1 title that's designed first and foremost as a hardcore sim on par with ACC, iRacing or RF2, but with plenty of optional assists to make it more accessible for all. I assume the biggest challenge will be proper console implementation, but I'm sure it's not impossible.

Sim racing devs (Particularly Kunos, S397 and Reiza): can't you guys start working on such a title from now in secret so that by 2024-25 some of you can make proposals to the FIA with a working demo? ;) I won't pretend to know how the business side works, but the only way I think that license will ever change hands at this point is if you give them tangible options. Seems like a lucrative franchise to get hold of.
 
Here is my take on it

It is better than f1 2020, but not by alot. upgrading from f1 2020 to f1 2021 is on a per person basis, if you want a major diffrent game dont upgrade, if you are a avid f1 fan, want all the up to date stuff, upgrade, the little things in f1 2021 make it better quite a bit, like engine failures and impoved ai.

if you are f1 2019 and before upgrade. the improvments over 2-3 years are enough to upgrade, the jump from 2019 to 2020 was good handling wise and this is astep further. the my team is great fun, and is alot better this year due to it being tougher and longer to get to the top if you want it.

Braking point can be fun, but myteam is better as it feels unscripted so any drama feels way better.
 
So much hate around here, the game is really fun against the ai.
Not hate on my part, I actually bought it on launch day. I just feel like Codemasters don’t spend their time and money on what truly matters. They emphasize the story mode at the expense of actual meaningful content. A PC game in 2021 that doesn’t offer mouse support is a joke. Not offering the 2021 F2 cars on launch day is, at best, lazy. Instead of that story mode, why not do Imola and Portimao?

the game itself is ok, the racing is fun, but it just feel like this is a game, not a serious sim like other titles that, in the long run, are more rewarding but feature less gimmicks. People are still playing GTR2 and Assetto Corsa several years after their release. How many will play F1 2021 in 2 years?
 
Braking point can be fun, but myteam is better as it feels unscripted so any drama feels way better.
I’m pretty sure Braking Point was created in the wake of the success of Drive to survive on Netflix.

There was an article in the New York Times recently about DTS and how it has brought a huge boost to F1 TV ratings in the USA.
 
I have an RF2 with Formula PRO and McLaren MP4/13 - I don't see any point in buying another F1 that hasn't changed in years, but now also lacks regional pricing.

This game is not that bad, really bad is a modern F1 with V6T. Formula E seems more honest in this respect.
 
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I was an early adopter of Codemasters F1 games. I had 2009 which was one of the worst racing games I've played thanks to the 'faked' race timing. Then 2010 which fixed the dodgy timing but was still immersion breaking and plain bad in so many other ways. Then had no sim rig for past 7 years so not been back again... until now.

Unsurprisingly it's so much better than 11 years ago. The AI is reasonably convincing (although a bit too willing to make contact) and they've nailed a lot of the modern driver admin involved in racing an F1 car.

The whole race weekend experience is now pretty convincing, and it is fun to drive. With no assists, the rear of the car and the care required on the throttle seem believable and engaging, although the front end is a bit floaty and understeers too readily in the slow-speed corners.

I'm having more fun with it than I expected. There's a lot to like. Just a pity that some of the tracks are a bit weird, S3 Barcelona especially, and the lack of feeling through the wheel about what the front is doing is sometimes annoying. The AI strength also seems inconsistent track to track, although it could just be my lack of ability.

Overall though, I'm fairly impressed so far.
 
I can't believe they're just pretending Covid-19 never happened. I'm not talking about a Covid-related setting with safety measures and masks and everything, but honestly, a whole story mode in which you race Australia 2019, China 2019, France 2019... come on, it looks like they did it on purpose! No chance to drive on tracks where the real F1 raced in 2019, and what a selection of tracks that was: Imola, Mugello, Istanbul, Nürburgring, Portimao...

Then there's people screaming "oh, Hamilton's helmet in 2020 has only six stars, so much attention for the details!"
 
I can't believe they're just pretending Covid-19 never happened. I'm not talking about a Covid-related setting with safety measures and masks and everything, but honestly, a whole story mode in which you race Australia 2019, China 2019, France 2019... come on, it looks like they did it on purpose! No chance to drive on tracks where the real F1 raced in 2019, and what a selection of tracks that was: Imola, Mugello, Istanbul, Nürburgring, Portimao...
2020.
 
Gone from 150fps Ultra settings in F1 2020 down to 85fps and the graphics and textures look like dog meat compared to 2020, how does that even happen.
 
Premium
Just to note, I have all the Codemasters F1 games for PC and have written a Telemetry tool, which works with F1 2012 to F1 2021, but also with many other games, like ACC and AMS2.

I think F1 2021 was a missed opportunity to really build on the good base they had with 2020. E.g. adding entry F2 seasons for MyTeam (and maybe career) would have been super.

Sadly it seems, Codemasters were focusing on the story mode. The F1 2020 with classic cars and tracks was 45G, now the install is 75G. So we can make an estimate from this, that the new Game Braking Point added at least 30-40G of data for a one-time play-through gimmick. And don't get me started on the many bugs re-introduced or the many small bugs around, which never get fixed, even when they are reported. Or the bugs, which are brought back in the "bug fix" releases, like happened with 1.4 right after the release.

I still like the driving in F1 2021 though, it is clearly improved from F1 2020.

But the really random CTDs and EGO dumper crashes + other oddities/bugs - like if you have the session's best S1, S2, S3, the session theoretical best might be 0.001 off from your laptime - take away from the full enjoyment.

If I would not be developing my tool and needing access to the game, I would most likely postpone the purchase until the new tracks are there and there have been several rounds of fixes. Most likely the game will be on discount at that point.

Cheers
 
Can't wait for the F1 license to be transferred to another studio.

It would be great if the license was available to all studios that want to pay for it, instead of giving the monopoly to a single studio. Then we would have many F-1 games at the same time from different studios, like it was once in the past.

But I doubt FIA will do it again, unfortunately. The game is a big sales success and will always be. Many people just buy it every year, no matter what. Even if one day the devs just copy and paste the entire previous game, just updating the year in the title plus the drivers names in the teams, it will still sells a lot.
 
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I see tons of people complaining about these annual releases (both in F1 and MotoGP) being too evolutionary and I still don't understand why people buy every game every year. We should all know better and have manged our own expectation. Granted, its a small sliver of people who do this, but they are the vocal minority.

I still play and enjoy F1 2019, I have no need to upgrade yet. Same with NHL, I was playing 2017 until I could pick up 2020 for $10... And I was happy as a clam.
I hate this game, but I have no contempt, as long as we have fun ... For my part I love Mario Kart, I play it every day. Before I loved all arcade games, now I seek realism above all because technology allows it. Everyone has their own tastes, but we have the right to give our opinion, without disregarding what others like.
What I would like would be a real F1 simulation, with advanced physics, perfect AI and a great internet mode covering all the F1 circuits with all the teams, the rules, all the seasons from the start of F1 to our days, in VR because I love it.
I know it's impossible, but I would like something a little closer to that than F1 2021.
But I have no hatred for this game (I would be quite an idiot), so much the better for those who are satisfied with it or take pleasure with it.
 
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