A new year will bring a new official Formula 1 game this summer. F1 2021 was a brilliant game and one we're still thoroughly enjoying playing in 2022. F1 22 is fast approaching, and it promises to be the biggest shakeup for the series in years.
Out of all the single-player modes available, My Team is probably our favourite. My Team gives players the ability to become the eleventh team on the F1 grid.
What's in store for My Team this year though? Let's take a deep dive and find out!
Driver pool
One of the coolest aspects of My Team is that you can choose your teammate. You are limited by a budget, of course, you can't go signing Sir Lewis Hamilton in your first season. That means you'll often need to delve into the current crop of Formula 2 drivers to find your teammate.
All 20 Formula 1 drivers will be available from the game's launch, as will the complete 2021 F2 grid. This means that the likes of Oscar Piastri, Robert Shwartzman, and Dan Ticktum will all be available to sign for your team. This is despite some not being F2 drivers in 2022.
The 2022 F2 grid will likely be available from around December 2-22, as was the case with last year's game.
There were also seven "icons" that were available to sign for the player as well. We think this will be expanded in this year's game, and given our picks for who should be added to this series of legends.
In F1 22 we'd love to see reserve drivers like Nico Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi included within the driver pool too.
R&D
The research and development system in the Formula 1 games is the best we've ever seen in racing games. While there could be tweaks to this system for 2022, the fundamentals should stay the same. After all, if it ain't broke, why fix it?
Development is split into four categories: powertrain, aerodynamics, chassis, and durability. The level of performance of these four is aggregated together to make an overall ranking for your team. You could have the best engine on the grid, but if it's blowing up after a few races, you'll be starting from the back more often than not.
As there is a big regulation change in store for this year, the names of the parts may change. Something that will change though is the order in which the cars are weighted with performance. We'll have to wait until we've seen a few races in real life before making a judgement on this though.
New features
My Team is returning to F1 22 with enhanced features. In the Codemasters' latest F1 game, players can choose their starting budget based on three entry points: Newcomer, Challenger, and Front Runner.
Something we really missed in F1 2021 was classic cars, but if these return, we've got some suggestions for which to add to the game.
While we won't see classic cars in My Team much, it would be nice to have the option of those invitational events returning.
With a new set of regulations set to shake up the order, we could see closer and more exciting racing than ever in both real-life and F1 22. Again, we'll have to wait until the game launches to know, but if the regs do bring the cars closer, this will be reflected in the game.
Release date
As for the release date, F1 22 is coming out on 1 July. Preordering the Champions Edition also gives three days early access to the game.
In terms of platforms, F1 22 will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The PC version will require an Origin account.