F1 2021 is a great game, there's no getting around it. Codemasters have consistently bettered themselves with every iteration of the official Formula 1 game. Something we sorely missed in F1 2021 though was classic cars. We may have gotten icons, but nothing can make up for no retro Formula 1 cars in the game.
So, let's have a look at five classic F1 cars that we'd love to see make their debut in F1 2022!
1 - Williams FW11
There have been a lot of classic Williams F1 cars included in previous Codemasters games. Williams has an incredible history though, so including them all is tough. We've already had the Williams from 1992, 96, and 2003, but one from the 80s is missing.
We can't think of many better than the FW11, the car entered in 1986 and '87. Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet piloted this monster in both of its seasons and Williams romped to back-to-back constructor's championships. Piquet also won the driver's championship in '87, with 18 wins, 16 poles and 17 fastest laps from 32 races.
2 - Lotus 33
The Lotus 72D and 79 are two of the oldest classic cars we've see included in the Codies F1 games. However, we believe we should go all the way back to the 1960s for the next Lotus Formula 1 car. The Lotus 33 is an exquisitely beautiful car, this is from a time before aerodynamics and sponsors dominated a car's look.
In the hands of Jim Clark, the 33 won five of the eight races he entered in 1965. Clark would win the driver's championship that year, with Lotus being crowned constructor's champions. There aren't currently many games where you can drive the 33, but Grand Prix Legends is one of the few.
3 - Ferrari 412 T2
Ferrari are the only Formula 1 team to have taken part in all of the sport's seasons, so they have no shortage of classics to choose from. We've already had the Ferrari's from 1976, 1979, 1990, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010 all included in previous Codies titles. We're going to opt for the last V12 Formula 1 car ever, the 1995 412 T2.
Now, technically, the '95 Ferrari has been in the F1 games before, but we haven't seen it since 2017. We're very disappointed in this, as the 412 T2 looks and sounds beautiful. In the hands of Jean Alesi in particular, it was an absolute beast to drive.
Because of the abundance of power and the lack of grip, this car is a real challenge to master, but one that's very satisfying to do so. This car may not have won a championship, but it's got a special place in racing fans' hearts.
4 - McLaren MP4/2
McLaren are the second most-successful team in F1 history and are another manufacturer that have a lot of classic cars to choose from. The McLarens from 1976, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1998, 2008, and 2010 were all featured in F1 2019 and 2020.
So, with all those already included, which classic are left for Codemasters to add? Well, we can't think of many better than the MP4/2!
The MP4/2 competed in F1 between 1984 and '86 and won five championships in that time (3 driver's, 2 constructor's). In 48 races, the MP4/2 won 22 races with 7 poles and 16 fastest laps to its name. Prost and Niki Lauda were unstoppable in this car, as they won the team's first championships in a decade.
5 - Brabham BT46B "Fan car"
Okay, we'll admit this is much more of a long shot than all of the others on this list. Brabham have a lot of legendary F1 cars in their back catalogue, but none are more infamous than the BT46B. Dubbed the "Fancar" thanks to the large fan on its rear end, this car was so fast it only lasted one race in the sport.
The amazing Gordon Murray came up with the concept that a fan would blow air even faster than normal through the ground effect aerodynamics and create more downforce. It worked... Too well. Niki Lauda and John Watson were light years faster than the competition, leading to team owner Bernie Ecclestone withdrawing the car for the next race.
Which would be faster, a car with from the 70s with a fan on it or a modern day F1 car is a very interesting scenario. Will we be able to live this out in F1 2022? Anything is possible.