Minor on-track miscalculations can easily result in a tire puncture or lost wing, dramatically reducing your car’s stability.

Piloting an actual F1 car at speed is spectacularly difficult (we should know read about our most-recent experience here), and the game does a good job of driving this point home. And 2011 rule changes such as the re-adoption of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recover System) and adoption of DRS (Drag Reduction System) are reflected, too.

That means, as in real life, the Buddh International Circuit in India makes its Formula 1 debut in the 2011 game, and the legendary Nürburgring circuit returns. All 19 tracks, 12 teams, and 24 drivers from the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship calendar are available (with the exception of a few recent driver changes). Given its title, the actual racing content of F1 2011 should come as no surprise. None of its improvements are the single factor in F1 2011 being the superior game instead, they combine to create a more well-rounded experience. (We played on PS3, both with a controller and a steering-wheel-and-pedal setup.) It’s the follow-up to last year’s F1 2010, and while that was a solid and enjoyable game-and the series is basically the only choice if you’re looking for virtual F1 action on home consoles-it was good, not great.į1 2011 moves toward greatness, though, with improved physics, better graphics, a more cohesive and realistic feel to the action, and overhauled AI opponent behavior. The end of the 2011 Formula 1 season is nigh, but here’s a way to keep the fever at full pitch for months to come: F1 2011 from Codemasters, which was recently released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

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