F1 2021 game: Release date, trailer, EA Play, early access, My Team

With the Formula 1 season set to get underway once again, many fans are setting their sights on the F1 2021 game to provide their entertainment between races.

F1 2020 was wildly successful, slightly changing up the formula and bringing in some new features to make it almost as exciting as the real sport.

Off the back of the 2020 season, and with a number of new drivers and rebranded teams on the grid, expect F1 2021 to look pretty different.

Anticipation for the game is slowly starting to heat up, especially with EA’s acquisition of developer Codemasters so let’s take a look at what we already know.

F1 2021 game: Release date

F1 2021 is expected to release on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox family of consoles, and PC on July 15, 2021. 

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This pretty much lines up with what was previously expected, as F1 games typically tend to release around the same time every year, with F1 2020 coming also in July.

F1 2021 game: Trailers

So far, there’s only one trailer for the game that’s been unveiled, which is a small teaser that reveals the upcoming release date. 

It doesn’t show any gameplay, so if that’s what you’re looking for you’re going to be a bit disappointed. That being said, one is more than likely coming at some point in the near future, so fans will just have to be patient. 

F1 2021 game: EA Play & Early Access

On February 18, the long-rumored news of EA’s acquisition of developer Codemasters finally became official.

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Of course, this means the F1 2021 game, as well as Codemasters’ other efforts (Dirt, Grid etc.) should end up on EA’s subscription platform, EA Play, formerly EA Access.

This means discounts for EA Play members, early access for preordering and, if you haven’t played the previous games yet, F1 2020 should also be available in the Vault. Besides that, we don’t know much about how the game will change under EA. Could F1 2021 Ultimate Team be a thing?

F1 2021 pre-order bonus and Digital Deluxe Edition

Players who pre-order the game will receive a Braking Point Content Pack, which include items inspired by the new story mode of the same name, as well as 5,000 PitCoins, the in-game currency used in previous titles.

In addition, a Digital Deluxe Edition of the game was announced, which will include seven extra drivers for the My Team mode, 18,000 extra PitCoins, the aforementioned pre-order bonus, and access to the game three days before everyone else. 

F1 2021 game: My Team

My Team was a monumental success in F1 2020, with players able to build their own team from scratch and lead it to the top of Formula 1, and it’s now been confirmed to be returning with F1 2021.

Details about the feature this time around are not yet known but if it functions like it did last year, fans will be able to create an entire F1 team exactly how they want it.

F1 2021 driver ratings

While driver ratings can fluctuate throughout the Formula 1 season based on their real-world performances, things are unlikely to change so much that top-rated drivers turn bad or vice versa. Here are the F1 2020 ratings:

There is no confirmation on what this year’s driver ratings will be. Drivers are rated on experience, awareness, racecraft and pace, and with the grid changing up significantly this year, expect that to be reflected in-game.

F1 2021 driver ratings have not yet been announced. F2 champion Mick Schumacher joins the grid along with Yuki Tsunoda and Nikita Mazepin, and Fernando Alonso is back in after two years away. Where these are rated alongside their new colleagues remain to be seen.

F1 2021 tracks

While the full list of tracks hasn’t been made available, expect to see advancements on the F1 2020 track list, as below:

• Australia – Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
• Bahrain – Bahrain International Circuit (Normal and Short)
• Vietnam – Hanoi Circuit
• China – Shanghai International Circuit
• The Netherlands – Circuit Zandvoort
• Spain – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
• Monaco – Circuit de Monaco
• Azerbaijan – Baku City Circuit
• Canada – Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
• France – Circuit Paul Ricard
• Austria – Spielberg
• Britain – Silverstone Circuit (Normal and Short)
• Hungary – Hungaroring
• Belgium – Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps
• Italy – Autodromo Nazionale Monza
• Singapore – Marina Bay Street Circuit
• Russia – Sochi Autodrom
• Japan – Suzuka International Racing Course (Normal and Short)
• USA – Circuit of The Americas (Normal and Short)
• México – Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
• Brazil – Autódromo José Carlos Pace
• Abu Dhabi – Yas Marina Circuit

We should expect to see the new Saudi Arabia track in action, as well as the popular Portimao, seeing as they’re on the 2021 calendar.

Imola and the Nurburgring will be on the wishlist for players after they featured in the shortened 2020 season.

F1 2021 Braking Point story mode and Career Mode

This year’s entry is set to include a brand-new story mode in the form of Braking Point. Described as an “epic journey” by the developers, this new mode will show players what it’s like to make their way through Forumla 2 racing and into Formula 1. 

Career Mode is also making comeback, this time with a two-player option. Fans who utilize the two-player option can either choose to play cooperatively or competitively.

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So, there’s everything we know about the F1 2021 game so far. There’s not a lot to go off, but if you enjoyed F1 2021 you should have your sights set on June or July of this year.

Expect to see improvements to My Team, some new tracks to race on and that coveted EA Play discount available ahead of the game’s release. Now, we just wait for the first trailer.