The preview code I received is limited. There’s no career mode available and you can basically just do time trials or set up a series of tracks. From all reports the game will feature all 19 tracks from the F1 series as well as all the current cars, teams and drivers. You don’t start as a test driver in the game but as a driver with a seat in the series already. The teams available to you are determined by the level of difficulty you’re playing at.

The game features motion-captured real-life race engineers in the pits doing their thing but the animations are sort of flat and lifeless I thought.

In regards to customizing the car for the track or circuit, you can make modifications, but the major pieces of the puzzle are already there. You can’t use the wrong gears or the wrong aero packages or otherwise use a car that wouldn’t be found in a real F1 race. As I said, it’s more about tweaking things to fit your driving style. But you’ll still need a realistic style to succeed.

The preview features 12 of the 19 tracks and they are all well-detailed and true to life in many respects.

There’s a lot of features in the game that weren’t available in the preview and so I am looking forward to getting the full game for review. There seems to be a lot of personal interaction between yourself, team members, media, etc that are not present and seem to really allow you to, as Codemasters says, live the life.

Overall I think F1 2010 is going to make a brilliant addition to the franchise. It really gives a sense of speed and he feeling of more technical driving than that of a mostly circular track. You have to learn where to pass, how hard to brake and when to pit (like when there’s too much traffic and they’ll all need to pit later anyway). This all adds up to a true racing experience. Now I just wish that Thrustmaster Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia would arrive!