“I emerge from the famous Monaco tunnel at just under 180mph and readjust to the light before dropping four gears and braking heavily into the Nouvelle chicane. I ease gently round the tight left-hander just ahead then throw the car through turns 13-16, before braking heavily approaching La Rascasse and turn in slowly. My McLaren threatens to hit the barrier as I battle a wobble of oversteer from applying the throttle too early. One more corner now, slowing to 50mph to take the Anthony Noghes turn before straightening the car and pressing my foot to the throttle, activating the DRS and deploying what remaining KERS I have left…approaching the finish line…is it pole position…?”

F1 2012 is Codemasters Racing’s third outing in their BAFTA-winning Formula One series and, not unlike a Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix, arrives with a raft of upgrades aimed at keeping it at the head of its field. The introduction described my emotions as I took my first lap around the notoriously difficult Monte Carlo circuit and highlights just what F1 2012 does best: immersing the player into feeling like a Formula One driver. Each of the 12 teams, 24 drivers and 20 circuits (including the as-yet incomplete Circuit of the Americas in Texas) are realistically represented inF1 2012, but Codemasters’ focus isn’t on them, it’s on your experience in the world of Formula One. Continue reading →