''F1 23'' is a

racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...

developed by

Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Oct ...

and published by

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...

. It is the sixteenth entry in the '' F1'' series by Codemasters. It holds the official licence for the 2023

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

and

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name re ...

championships. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 202 ...

, and

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, w ...

(through Valve's Proton compatibility layer) on 16 June 2023.

Gameplay

''F1 23'' sees the return of the story mode, "Braking Point", which was introduced in '' F1 2021''. Two characters from "Braking Point", Devon Butler, the main antagonist, and Aiden Jackson, the protagonist, return for ''Braking Point 2'', as well as veteran now-retired driver Casper Akkerman, who also makes an appearance as a mentor and later Team Principal for Konnersport, A new character named Callie Mayer, Devon Butler's sister, makes an appearance, along with their dad, Davidoff Butler who is the CEO of his own company, Butler Global, and Andreo Konner, the founder and owner of Konnersport, who was the team principal in the F1 2022 season. The game features a narrative mode with live-action scenes similar to '' Grid Legends''. ''F1 23'' features overhauled driving physics and added the option to set a 35% race distance. Red flags, which last appeared in ''

F1 2014 The 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 68th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 65th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, recognised by the sport's governing body, ...

'', make an appearance. The game's UI has been overhauled for an experience much more akin to the presentation of current Formula One races. New additions to the My Team Icons pack include World Champion Nigel Mansell, W Series driver

Jamie Chadwick Jamie Laura Chadwick (born 20 May 1998) is a British racing driver who races for Andretti Autosport in Indy NXT. She won the inaugural W Series season in 2019, before retaining her title in 2021 and 2022. She currently holds the records for ...

(who also assisted the developers with ''Braking Point 2''), former Williams driver

Pastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan professional racing driver, who competed in Formula One for the Williams (2011–2013) and Lotus (2014–2015) teams and as a Pirelli test driver until 2017. Before entering ...

, and former

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

reserve driver and

Sauber Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in . After operating it un ...

and

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valley but rises to equal ...

driver

Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese professional racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) and in the Super Formula Championship for KCMG . He previously competed in Formula One, Formula E, the GP2 Series, and ...

. Pre-orders also included characters from ''Braking Point 2'' as icons. "F1 World" expands upon the "F1 Life" feature of ''

F1 22 ''F1 22'' is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the thirteenth entry in the '' F1'' series by Codemasters. The game holds an official license of the 2022 Formula One and Formula 2 championships. The ga ...

'' and tied together all the game modes featured in the game, including ranked, esports, offline and online game modes. This also includes the return of the Podium Pass. The game introduces a safety rating for online players; similar systems have been featured in titles, such as ''

iRacing ''iRacing'' is a subscription-based online racing simulation video game developed and published by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations in 2008. All in-game sessions are hosted on the publisher's servers. The game simulates real world cars, tr ...

'' and later '' Gran Turismo'' titles. This system is also utilised in offline game modes, though an option is available to disable it. The player's "F1 World" car can be upgraded with new car parts, and new team members can be hired. Both items can be obtained through gameplay; while an XP boost is made available with "PitCoin", no microtransactions to purchase such upgrades are available. Goals and compendiums are also available to unlock more rewards in "F1 World". Supercars and a virtual living space make their return from the previous title. Playing game modes, including progression throughout ''Braking Point 2'', count towards Podium Pass progression. The

Losail International Circuit The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...

, home of the Qatar Grand Prix, is included in the game, as is the brand-new Las Vegas Strip Circuit ahead of the inaugural

Las Vegas Grand Prix The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a planned Formula One Grand Prix due to form part of the 2023 Formula One World Championship, with the event taking place in Paradise, Nevada, on a temporary street circuit including the Las Vegas Strip. History ...

. The game also includes the

Imola Circuit The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola, is a motor racing circuit in the town of Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, east of Bologna. It is one of the few major international circuits to run in an a ...

of the

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ( it, ) is a Formula One motor racing event held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, often referred to as "Imola" after the town where it is located. The event takes the name "Emilia Romagna" fr ...

, the

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has h ...

of the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...

, the

Shanghai International Circuit The Shanghai International Circuit () is a motorsport race track, situated in the Jiading District, Shanghai. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Chinese Grand Prix which was hosted from 2004 to 2019 and was scheduled again fr ...

of the

Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix () is a round of the Formula One World Championship and was contracted to return in 2023 but will now not do so until 2024 at the earliest. It is currently held at the Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, Shanghai, d ...

, and the

Algarve International Circuit The Algarve International Circuit ( pt, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road tra ...

of the

Portuguese Grand Prix The Portuguese Grand Prix (''Grande Prémio de Portugal'') is a motorsports event that was first held in 1951 as a sportscar event, and then intermittently disappearing for many years before being revived again. In 1964 event was held as a spo ...

, tracks that were removed from or not part of the

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

schedule.

Story mode: ''Braking Point 2''

First introduced in '' F1 2021'', ''F1 23'' features ''Braking Point 2'', set in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The story centers on the Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team, a new team that has recently joined the grid. Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, both returning from the first ''Braking Point'', find themselves becoming teammates in this new team. Introduced in this story mode is

prodigy Callie Mayer, who dreams of earning a shot at motorsport's most prestigious single seater category after winning the Formula 2 championship with

Trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other mari ...

, becoming the first woman to claim the title in doing so. She also happens to be Butler's sister. As revealed in a ''Deep Dive'' video published on 22 May 2023, the writing team partnered with three time W Series champion and Williams development driver

to bring Mayer's story to life. Both Butler and Jackson retain their driver numbers of 71 and 89 respectively, while Mayer uses 66 during her stint in Formula One (20 as a Trident driver).

Plot

In the 2022 season, after failing to sign an agreement with several teams, Aiden Jackson signs with the Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team, a team founded by Andreo Konner and funded by Butler Global, a company owned by Davidoff Butler, father to Devon Butler. During the Miami Grand Prix, Aiden's car loses power, forcing him to retire, while Devon secures some points for the team. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Butler is ordered to give Jackson the position, but he ignores the order. Jackson manages to overtake Butler and finishes the race ahead of him. Aiden later faces more difficulties when he faces a slow pit stop at the Japanese Grand Prix, which lets him to decide to leave the team or not. In F2, Callie Mayer, Butler's sister, becomes the first female Formula 2 Champion after finishing her season with Trident with the help of retired driver and Jackson's former teammate, Casper Akkerman. In the 2023 season, Akkerman is appointed as the new team principal of Konnersport, with Andreo stepping down and remaining with the team, as well as Aiden deciding to stay with the team for another season. Devon meanwhile, faces difficulties when he loses his focus and ignores team orders. Casper attempts to help Devon, but during the

, Devon loses his focus again and crashes his car into the barriers (in a similar fashion to how

Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver, currently racing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He won the GP3 Series championship in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in . Leclerc ...

hit the barriers at the real-life event the year before) and immediately leaves Konnersport. Akkerman later reveals that Butler had tinnitus prior to the 2023 season and had kept it secret to the team. As they enter mid-season, Konnersport are forced to scramble to find a new driver, and Davidoff says that Butler Global will pull funding if they do not finish fifth or higher. Akkerman later chooses to sign Callie as Devon's replacement. Callie, who had a conflict with her father because he never listened to her and her mother, Evelyn Mayer, is initially hesitant, but agrees to take Devon's seat. During her debut in Baku, Mayer makes contact with Jackson after an unsuccessful attempt at letting his teammate through. Callie goes on to finish the race. Aiden believes that the collision was deliberate and is so annoyed that in the

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Ch ...

, he impedes Callie and refuses to let her past. Callie, however, manages to overtake him. After the race, Konner and Akkerman later tell Aiden and Callie about the funding situation and that Konnersport will not be able to find an investor and will be forced to leave Formula One after 2023 if they do not finish fifth or higher in the Constructors' Championship. At the

Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been he ...

, Devon returns to Konnersport as the new team liaison. In the race, Aiden makes contact with Callie, resulting in her front wing coming off. Callie manages to finish in the top five. In

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, To Aiden's upsets, he was given an advice by Devon. In the race, he finishes in the top five, securing more points to the team. In

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Callie confronts Davidoff, where the latter says he is doing this for business. During the end of the safety car, Callie finishes in the top five. During the teams briefing in Abu Dhabi, Casper snaps at Davidoff to leave the meeting, while Aiden apologises to Callie. During the race, Aiden suffers a mechanical failure and is forced to retire. Devon, seeing the team in danger, gives a fake order to Callie claiming not to push the car too hard, prompting her to drive faster and finish in the top four, achieving the goal that was required to keep Butler Global with them and thus allowing them to stay in Formula One. In the aftermath of the race, Butler Global's funding is secure. As Konnersport is set for their next season, Aiden says to the media that he will stay if Casper remains as team principal, with Butler Global set to renew their sponsorship with the team, and Callie looks forward to her next season.

Development and release

''F1 23'' was teased on 1 March 2023 by its developers as a "fresh start" for the series.

, who worked on the series since '' F1 2009'', and

returned to work on the game. A new trailer showcasing the "Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team" was released on 28 April 2023, with the official trailer launched on 3 May 2023. Prior to the reveal, a closed beta was made available. The game features two covers, with Max Verstappen on the Champions' Edition cover, and

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...

, and

Lando Norris Lando Norris (born 13 November 1999) is a Belgian-British racing driver currently competing in Formula One with McLaren, racing under the British flag. He won the MSA Formula championship in 2015, and the Toyota Racing Series, Eurocup Form ...

on the standard edition cover. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,

, and

on 16 June 2023, with the Champions Edition of the game available three days earlier on 13 June 2023.

Reception

''F1 23'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

Notes

References

External links