We knew when EA took over Codemasters that things would be changing, but it looks like F1 2021 could have a few more influences than we thought.
As part of the announcement of the game, the Deluxe Edition of F1 2021 will include "Seven iconic drivers to enhance your ‘My Team’ game experience". Which points toward the introduction of an Ultimate Team-style mode.
F1 2021 comes in hot
If you haven't seen it, the announcement trailer has the return of an old enemy, as well introducing a few new ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrJ8PddAMIw
Devon Butler is back, and comes into the game with Casper Akkerman and Aiden Jackson. This trio will be part of "Braking Point", a new story mode for the game.
But the most interesting thing for us, is the inclusion of seven iconic drivers for My Team.
Icons, legends, and team building
While the last two F1 games have featured legendary drivers, they were never a part of the game beyond skins to use for your driver.
The introduction of iconic drivers to My Team suggests they will have their own stats, skills, and perhaps even be outrageously fast.
As FIFA and Madden players will know, the road to Ultimate Team is paved with the image rights to former players of the sport. EA generates a lot of interest in Ultimate Team because you can have David Beckham and Phil Foden in the same lineup. In F1 terms, we could have a team that puts Michael Schumacher in the driver's seat with Adrian Newey on the aero design and Sir Frank Williams at the helm.
While F1's structure doesn't naturally lend itself to the Ultimate Team players are so familiar with elsewhere, it looks like the method of driving interest, and extra revenue, from faces of the past is only accelerating in F1 titles.
Who could the iconic drivers be?
We've all got our favourites from the past, and picking just seven leaves a lot of worthy names on the pitwall.
Here are our picks, based partly on who Codemasters has used before, who we think is likely, and who we would really want to see.
- Michael Schumacher
- Ayrton Senna
- Alain Prost
- Nigel Mansell
- Niki Lauda
- Juan Manuel Fangio
- Sir Stirling Moss