F1 2019 is the official video game of the 2019 Formula One and Formula 2 Championships developed and published by Codemasters. It is the twelfth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio. The game was announced by Codemasters on 28 March 2019. The video game is the eleventh installment of the franchise, and it features all twenty-one circuits, twenty drivers and ten teams present in the 2019 Formula One World Championship. Codemasters has stated that the game was in development for nearly two years, and described it as "the most ambitious release in franchise history".
Features
F1 2019 is the first game in the series to feature driver transfers, with AI-controlled drivers able to switch teams during or at the end of a championship year. These moves will be randomly-generated rather than scripted events. The game includes 18 Formula 1 cars from F1 2018 from the 1972–2010 seasons, with the DLC having a focus on the careers of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. The DLC also includes the 2010 McLaren MP4-25, driven by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and the 2010 Ferrari F10, driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. These cars were included to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Codemasters releasing the Formula 1 game on the seventh and eighth generations of consoles. Two Ferrari cars, however, are noticeably absent. These are the 2002 Ferrari F2002, and the 1995 Ferrari 412 T2. Players are able to design liveries—including fictional sponsors—for a generic 2019 car in multiplayer modes. Within the game Racing Point's SportPesa sponsorship is replaced by SpScore.com due to SportPesa being a betting company and the game being PEGI 3 rated. Scuderia Ferrari's sponsor Mission Winnow was also completely removed because of it being an advertisement for the tobacco companyPhilip Morris International. In a later update, the 90 Years logos were added, along with the real car, to celebrate Ferrari's 90-year involvement in motorsport. Codemasters revealed the presence of the FIA Formula 2 Championship in the game, with a Dallara F2 2018 shown at the end of the announcement trailer. The game initially featured the teams, drivers and calendar of the 2018 championship with content based on the 2019 championship added to the game via update in September 2019. The Formula 2 championship is integrated into the game's career mode as a series of short scenarios designed to introduce driver rivalries. It includes two fictional drivers, Lukas Weber and Devon Butler, who act as team-mate and rival to the player respectively, and who will graduate to Formula 1 alongside the player. The full Formula 2 championship can be played separately to the career mode.
Reception
F1 2019 was well received. GameSpot said "The Formula 2 cars are superb to handle, and the new additions to career mode, like driver swaps, add some much-needed drama and excitement that real Formula 1 has been missing for some time now." Game Revolution said "There's enough here to take you well into next season, while the Career Mode has finally shaken off the cobwebs to emerge as a genuinely thrilling highlight". IGN said that "it definitely doesn’t always seem like a new game." The game got to number 2 in the UK sales chart, behind Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. It reached number 7 in Australia. The game has been beset by handling and braking issues since release. Codemasters have declined to comment on when a patch will be introduced.
