autoevolution
 

F1 22 Life and Career Preview - Feel Like an Actual F1 Driver With These New Features

The F1 22 game promises to be the most exciting and interactive Formula One game in the franchise's history, especially after the introduction of F1 Life.
F1 22 Life and Career Preview 18 photos
Photo: EA SPORTS F1/Twitter
F1 22 Opening TabF1 22 Avatar CustomizationF1 22 Avatar CustomizationF1 22 Apartment CustomizationF1 22 Apartment CustomizationF1 22 Apartment CustomizationF1 22 SupercarsF1 22 SupercarsF1 Trophy RoomPirelli Hot Laps F1 22Pirelli Hot Laps F1 22Pirelli Hot Laps F1 22Pirelli Hot Laps F1 22F1 22 MyTeamF1 22 MyTeamF1 22 MyTeamF1 22 MyTeam
From F1 2019, Codemasters (the company that developed F1 games since 2009) was trying to go beyond racing with their games because no matter how good a racing game is, it becomes boring sometimes to just race all the time. As a result, in 2019, they introduced a story mode where you had cut-scenes and made your own choices that affected the narrative.

We were allowed to play the latest and most complete preview here at autoevolution, and went to all the game modes available. Starting with the career mode, you can choose between the driver career mode and the My Team career mode.

The driver career mode is the same as last year; you create your avatar, customize the helmet, choose your podium celebrations and radio victory calls, and then choose your team to start your F1 career.

However, the My Team mode is a little different because, at the start, you can choose from three options: Newcomer (lowest budget, basically starting from zero), Midfield Challenger (a team like AlphaTauri, battling every race for a top ten finish) and Championship Contender (you have the biggest budget available, so you can sign any power unit and any icon driver to challenge for the title).

F1 22 MyTeam
Photo: autoevolution
Now, let's move on to the most significant change, the F1 Life mode that everybody talked about so much. Once you open the game, the Life tab will be the first thing you see. EA and Codemasters made sure you don't overlook this aspect.

Players will first customize their avatar with clothes and accessories from real-life licensed brands such as Puma, Sparco, or Oakley. You can even equip your avatar with Beats headphones.

Besides clothes, players will be able to customize their apartment with different sofas, tables, wall art, flooring and lighting. It may sound unnecessary, but the apartment will serve as a place to interact with other players online when not racing.

Just like in real life, you can visit your friend's apartments and then gossip about it behind his back. Unfortunately, only in F1 Life these authentic brands are available because, in My Team, we still have the fictional sponsors, which is pretty unattractive.

F1 22 MyTeam
Photo: autoevolution
Another new addition is the supercars from brands like Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, and Aston Martin. These are unlocked with tokens earned by distance driven with F1/F2 cars or other supercars. The supercars will be displayed in your apartment and, at the same time, could be used in a game mode named Pirelli Hot Laps, which can be played at any time, but are also introduced in career mode.

The Pirelli Hot Laps include drift, average speed zone, autocross and rival duel. The first three are self-explanatory, while a rival contest is a three-round head-to-head race around a part of a circuit and against a single simulated opponent.

While this is a fun addition, you cannot do a Grand Prix with these cars, only Pirelli Hot Laps, and time trials. However, the full version of the game will be launched in two weeks, so maybe EA and Codemasters will change that.

The handling model for these supercars is not a full-on simulation. It feels more like the handling model of The Crew 2 game because it has too much mechanical grip. As a result, driving is easier but unrealistic at times.

F1 22 Opening Tab
Photo: autoevolution
Unfortunately, F1 classic cars are not available in F1 22, and I believe that almost every fan of the game would prefer a 1988 McLaren Mp4/4 instead of a Ferrari F8 Tributo.

The new features will be trendy, especially the F1 Life, because it makes you feel more like an actual Formula One driver and changes how you interact with other online players.

So, it's not long until F1 22 goes live, and we can't wait for the chance to experience the full power of these new features, and then come back and tell you all about them.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Silvian Irimia
Silvian Irimia profile photo

Silvian may be the youngest member of our team, being born in the 2000s, but you won't find someone more passionate than him when it comes to motorsport. An automotive engineer by trade, Silvian considers the Ferrari F50 his favorite car, with the original Lamborghini Countach a close second.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories