Bugs are, unfortunately, a part of the gameplay experience in F1 2020. This patch goes some way towards changing that.
Photo credit: Jacob Hancox / Codemasters
F1 2020’s latest patch, update 1.17, has just gone live. No new features are added, but developer Codemasters have revealed several important bug-fixes. This includes one fix in particular that fans of multiplayer racing on F1 2020 will be very relieved to see.
Some of the fixes in this patch 👇
— Formula 1® Game (@Formula1game) March 22, 2021
✅ Addressed an issue where tyre temperature could be at absolute zero after re-joining a session.
✅ Addressed an issue where players were unable to join a Private League with an access code.
Read the notes for more: https://t.co/hCouYK4GCw pic.twitter.com/NbcxtGl4fF
So what’s new?
Let’s get straight to the most important aspect of this update. Finally, the issue wherein a driver who disconnected from a session would re-join to find their tires at -273 degrees Celsius, also known as absolute zero, has been “addressed”. This will come as welcome news to league racing drivers and league organizers alike, as the frequency with which this bug reared its ugly head was rather high. Hopefully, this patch will finally put an end to the problem, though many will say that it should have come far sooner. Nevertheless, progress is progress.
This isn’t the only issue which a driver disconnecting and reconnecting to a session could instigate. Update 1.17 comes with two more fixes for such problems. The first of these is the bug which resulted in all drivers being shown a blue flag when someone “quit and re-joined on the formation lap.” Similarly, Codemasters have also “addressed an issue where the yellow flag message could persist after the Safety Car had gone on after a player had quite and re-joined”. These bugs weren’t quite so prevalent or as problematic as the tire temperature issue, but to have them fixed alongside it is a bonus.
On Screen Display Fixes
Another patch note which will come as music to the ears of racing leagues reads “Lap counter will now show the correct lap in Spectator after a formation lap.” Obviously, the lap counter showing the incorrect lap is not a massive issue in and of itself, but the timing tower also has a strong tendency to go haywire at the start of races, and this is no doubt a part of that issue. For leagues which broadcast their races to hundreds of live viewers, these timing tower issues have been a significant problem. The arrival of this update suggests that the timing tower may well become more accurate in the future.
Safety Cars are known to wreak havoc in online races, and they aren’t perfect in single-player gameplay either. One bug fix in patch 1.17 is addressing part of the issue with Safety Cars, by making sure that the “incorrect message” will no longer be displayed when you are overtaken behind a Safety Car. Many drivers have received unjust penalties due to the unclear messaging from the game in such scenarios, and this fix may go some way to alleviating the issue.
There are several other issues which have been addressed in the patch, from the in-game leagues system to problems with countback when two drivers have the same world championship points. However, the fixes discussed above make up the most important changes in patch 1.17.
What are you hoping for with F1 2020’s next patch? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
