The new features it needs in a season of little change · RaceFans

The official Formula 1 game series, developed by Codemasters and published by EA, has become one of the biggest annual sports franchise releases of the year.

But while the F1 series is arguably up there alongside the likes of EAFC, NHL or even Madden as an annual release you can set your calendars by, there’s one big difference between Formula 1 and many other major sports.

Unlike soccer, NFL, basketball or ice hockey, Formula 1 regularly has substantial changes every year which serve as selling points for the official game. From the venues that host grands prix to the look and handling of the cars that make up the grid, each new F1 game typically requires more than just a roster update to fit the new season, unlike the likes of Madden with its same 32 teams and fundamental rule consistency.

But on paper the 2024 F1 season looks like a copy-and-paste affair compared to last year. Every driver who raced at the final round in Abu Dhabi last season will compete for the same team in this year’s season-opener in Bahrain. Also, while 24 rounds makes 2024 the longest season in the sport’s history, all 24 circuits – plus a handful more – were already included in last year’s game.

The rules are also largely untouched – though it remains to be seen what the latest change to the sprint race format will be. The new identities of Sauber and Red Bull’s second team, plus any coming livery tweaks, are the only changes of note for the new season.

Nor will F1 24 necessarily be able to deploy some of the new gimmicks it has rested on in the past. Its Braking Point story mode has thus far been based on a two-year development cycle, and the latest instalment appeared last year, so we may not see the third instalment of the saga of Devon Butler, Callie Mayer and Aiden Jackson in 2024.

So what enticing new angles could Codemasters add to the game for 2024 to make it a must-buy? Looking at other racing games on the market, there some interesting features that EA could take inspiration from.

Of course expectations need to be tempered by the constraints of producing a new game within a 12-month window. On top of that, EA recently laid off staff from Codemasters. With that in mind here are five elements from existing racing game franchises which could make worthwhile additions to the official F1 racing game series.

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