The 2022 season has marked a bold new era for Formula 1, with overhauled regulations aiming to revolutionise racing and make the sport more exciting than ever before.
RaceFans readers will not need reminding of how the new technical rules for 2022 have transformed Formula 1 cars for this year, with their ground effect downforce-generating floors and sleeker, sculpted bodies designed to allow cars to run more closely than before.
So with EA Sports promising that players can ‘enter the new era’ with Codemasters’ latest officially licensed game – F1 22 – has the virtual world of Formula 1 received as much of a shake-up as real life this season?
Firing up the game for the first time and taking one of the 10 all-new cars to the track for the first time, it’s clear to see that, yes, the new 2022-spec F1 machine really do feel different compared to their predecessors.
When it comes to physics and handling, you’ll notice the heavier weight of the 2022 cars immediately – especially if you’re a veteran player of the series. More mass means more momentum. You feel how the car’s mass makes it want to continue on its trajectory into and out of corners, requiring a more deliberate approach rather than just being able to throw the car wildly about.
The stiffer suspension settings mean handling feels more precise and responsive in a lot of ways – especially at turn-in – which could be a blessing or a curse depending on your driving style. You have to take care over kerbs due to how low you’re running to the ground as it’s a lot easier to bottom out and dragged along off track as a result.
That’s not to say that experienced players will have a hard time adjusting to the new handling model – you’ll get to grips with it soon enough. But you also cannot just expect to apply your same approaches to corners in F1 22 as you did in F1 2021 – especially on the throttle on corner exit, as it’s now easier to break traction and skid off under power.
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Car set-ups have also been expanded slightly with the new cars. Now, rather than having front and rear wing angles limited to only ten increments within a pre-set for each track, players are now able to set downforce levels across the full 50-point range, allowing you to run Monza-level wing settings in Barcelona, should you want to.
As we’ve…
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