''F1 23'' is a

racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic raci ...

developed by

Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer and former publisher based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts and managed under the EA Sports ...

and published by

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...

. It is the sixteenth entry in the '' F1'' series by Codemasters. It holds the official licence for the 2023

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

and

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 to 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name returned aga ...

championships. The game was released for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...

, and

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

(through Valve's

Proton A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , Hydron (chemistry), H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' (elementary charge). Its mass is slightly less than the mass of a neutron and approximately times the mass of an e ...

compatibility layer) on 16 June, or 3 days earlier on 13 June for users who had previously pre-ordered the Champions Edition, allowing them early access.

Gameplay

''F1 23'' sees the return of the story mode, "Braking Point", which was introduced in '' F1 2021''. Two characters from "Braking Point", Devon Butler, the main antagonist, and Aiden Jackson, the protagonist, return for ''Braking Point 2'', as well as veteran now-retired driver Casper Akkerman, who also makes an appearance as a mentor and later Team Principal for Konnersport. A new character named Callie Mayer, Devon Butler's sister, makes an appearance, along with their dad, Davidoff Butler who is the CEO of his own company, Butler Global, and Andreo Konner, the founder and owner of Konnersport, who was the team principal in the 2022 season. ''F1 23'' features overhauled driving physics and added the option to set a 35% race distance. Red flags, which last appeared in ''

F1 2014 The 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 68th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 65th Formula One World Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, recognised by the sport's governing body ...

'', make an appearance. The game's UI has been overhauled for an experience much more akin to the presentation of current Formula One races. New additions to the My Team Icons pack include World Champion

Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell (; born 8 August 1953) is a British former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Mansell won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Williams, and won 31 Grands Prix across 15 seasons ...

, W Series driver

Jamie Chadwick Jamie Laura Chadwick (born 20 May 1998) is a British racing driver who competes for IDEC Sport Racing, IDEC Sport in the 2025 European Le Mans Series, and previously raced for Andretti Global in 2024 Indy NXT, Indy NXT. She won the inaugural 20 ...

(who also assisted the developers with ''Braking Point 2''), former Williams driver

Pastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams. After winning the GP2 Series in 2010 with Rapax, Maldona ...

, and former

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

reserve driver and

Sauber Sauber Motorsport AG, currently competing in Formula One as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, and also known simply as Kick Sauber or Sauber, is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who pro ...

and

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge (district), Tandridge district of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valle ...

driver

Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese racing driver and motorsport executive, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, Toyota and in Super Formula for KC Motorgroup, KCMG. Kobayashi competed in Formula One from to . In end ...

. Pre-orders also included characters from ''Braking Point 2'' as icons. "F1 World" expands upon the "F1 Life" feature of '' F1 22'' and tied together all the game modes featured in the game, including ranked, esports, offline and online game modes. This also includes the return of the Podium Pass. The game introduces a safety rating for online players; similar systems have been featured in titles, such as ''

iRacing ''iRacing'' is a subscription-based online sim racing video game developed and published by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations in 2008. All in-game sessions are hosted on the publisher's servers. The game simulates real world cars, tracks, and ...

'' and later '' Gran Turismo'' titles. This system is also utilised in offline game modes, though an option is available to disable it. The player's "F1 World" car can be upgraded with new car parts, and new team members can be hired. Both items can be obtained through gameplay; while an XP boost is made available with "PitCoin", no microtransactions to purchase such upgrades are available. Goals and compendiums are also available to unlock more rewards in "F1 World". Supercars and a virtual living space make their return from the previous title. Playing game modes, including progression throughout ''Braking Point 2'', count towards Podium Pass progression. The

Lusail International Circuit The Lusail International Circuit (, sometimes rendered Losail International Circuit) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. The track is in length, with a main straight of . It is surrounded ...

, home of the

Qatar Grand Prix The Qatar Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event which is held in Qatar. It was held for the first time on 21 November as part of the championship at the Lusail International Circuit, and after not taking place during the season due ...

, is included in the game, as is the brand-new

Las Vegas Strip Circuit The Las Vegas Strip Circuit is a street circuit around parts of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, immediately adjacent to Las Vegas, Nevada. It winds through the streets of the city and comprises the Las Vegas Strip, a section of Las Veg ...

for the inaugural

Las Vegas Grand Prix The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a motor racing event that forms part of the Formula One World Championship, taking place in Paradise, Nevada, in the United States. It is conducted as a night race on Las Vegas Strip Circuit, a temporary street circ ...

. The game also includes the

Imola Circuit The Imola Circuit, officially called the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari ( for, it, , Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit), is a motor racing circuit. It is located in the town of Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Ita ...

of the

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (), also known as the Imola Grand Prix (), was a Formula One motor racing event held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, often referred to as "Imola" after the town where it is located. The even ...

, the

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ...

of the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championship. It is one of the oldest ...

, the

Shanghai International Circuit The Shanghai International Circuit (), also called the SAIC Shanghai International Circuit () for sponsorship purposes, is a motorsport race track, situated in the Jiading District, Shanghai, China. The circuit is best known as the venue for the ...

of the

Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix () is a round of the Formula One World Championship. The event was held every year from 2004 until 2019 before it was suspended from 2020 to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The event resumed in 2024 and is con ...

, and the

Algarve International Circuit The Algarve International Circuit (), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road track, technology park, five-star hotel, sp ...

of the

Portuguese Grand Prix The Portuguese Grand Prix () is a motorsports event that was first held in 1951 as a sportscar event, and then intermittently disappearing for many years before being revived again. In 1964 event was held as a sportscar race, and the 1965 and 1 ...

, tracks that were removed from or not part of the

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

schedule. The game features the ability to switch between a licensed soundtrack, featuring artists such as

Swedish House Mafia Swedish House Mafia (SHM) are a Swedish house music, house Supergroup (music), supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 D ...

Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...

and

The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands in Manchester in 1992. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. Originally known as The Dust Brothers, th ...

, and an orchestral score composed by

Ian Livingstone Sir Ian Livingstone (born 29 December 1949) is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of the '' Fighting Fantasy'' series of role-playing gamebooks, and the author of many books within that ...

, with an option to hear the game's music through the PA speakers of the in-game racetracks to add a layer of immersion.

Story mode: ''Braking Point 2''

A sequel to the ''Braking Point'' story mode introduced in '' F1 2021'', ''F1 23'' features ''Braking Point 2'', set in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Drivers Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler, both returning from the first ''Braking Point'', are now teammates at the fictional Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team. Introduced in this story mode is

prodigy Callie Mayer (voiced by

Emer Kenny Emer Kenny is a British actress and screenwriter. She is best known for playing Zsa Zsa Carter in ''EastEnders'' and its spin-off '' EastEnders: E20'', Danielle Reeves in '' Pramface'' and Penelope "Bunty" Windermere in ''Father Brown''. Caree ...

), who dreams of earning a shot at motorsport's most prestigious single seater category after winning the Formula 2 championship with

Trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

, becoming the first woman to claim the title in doing so. She also happens to be Butler's sister. As revealed in a ''Deep Dive'' video published on 22 May 2023, the writing team partnered with three time W Series champion and Williams development driver

to bring Mayer's story to life. Both Butler and Jackson retain their race numbers of 71 and 89 respectively, while Mayer uses 66 during her stint in Formula One (20 as a Trident driver).

Plot

In the 2022 season, after failing to sign an agreement with several teams, Aiden Jackson signs with the Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team, a team founded by Andreo Konner and funded by Butler Global, a company owned by Davidoff Butler, father to Devon Butler. During the

Miami Grand Prix The Miami Grand Prix is a Formula One Grand Prix which was held for the first time during the season, with the event taking place at the Miami International Autodrome which is located around the grounds and private facilities of Hard Rock Stadi ...

, Jackson's car loses power, forcing him to retire, while Devon secures some points for the team. At the

Hungarian Grand Prix The Hungarian Grand Prix (, ) is a motor racing event held annually in Mogyoród at the Hungaroring. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. History Origins The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on ...

, Butler ignores the team order to give Jackson the position, but Jackson manages to overtake Butler and finishes the race ahead of him. Jackson later faces more difficulties when he faces a slow pit stop at the

Japanese Grand Prix The Japanese Grand Prix () is a motor racing event in the calendar of the Formula One World Championship. Historically, Japan has been one of the last races of the season, and as such the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-de ...

, leading him to consider leaving the team. Meanwhile, Callie Mayer becomes the first woman to win the F2 Championship after finishing her season with Trident with the help of retired driver and Jackson's former teammate, Casper Akkerman. In the 2023 season, Akkerman is appointed the new team principal of Konnersport, while Konner steps down and stays with the team, as does Jackson to continue racing with the team for another season. Devon, meanwhile, faces difficulties when he loses his focus and ignores team orders. Akkerman attempts to help Devon, but during the

, Devon loses his focus again and crashes his car into the barriers and immediately leaves Konnersport, retiring from racing. Akkerman later reveals that Devon was diagnosed with

tinnitus Tinnitus is a condition when a person hears a ringing sound or a different variety of sound when no corresponding external sound is present and other people cannot hear it. Nearly everyone experiences faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely ...

before the season and had kept it secret to the team. As they enter mid-season, Konnersport are forced to scramble to find a new driver, and Davidoff says that Butler Global will pull funding if they do not finish fifth or higher. Akkerman later chooses to sign Callie as Devon's replacement. Despite Davidoff initially hesitating to let Callie join the team due to a conflict with her and her mother, Evelyn Mayer, he eventually agrees. Callie is equally reluctant at first, but agrees to take Devon's seat. During her debut in the

Azerbaijan Grand Prix The Azerbaijan Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event that was held for the first time in . It is held on the Baku City Circuit, a street circuit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The event is due to take place at the Baku City Ci ...

, Mayer makes contact with Jackson after an unsuccessful attempt at letting his teammate through. Callie goes on to finish the race. Believing that the collision was deliberate, Aiden is so annoyed by what happened in Baku that in the

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...

, he impedes Callie and refuses to let her past, only to watch her overtake him anyway. After the race, Konner and Akkerman later tell Aiden and Callie about the funding situation and that Konnersport will not be able to find a new investor and will be forced to leave Formula One after 2023 if they do not finish fifth or higher in the Constructors' Championship. At the

Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...

, Devon returns to Konnersport as the new team liaison. In the race, Aiden makes contact with Callie, causing her front wing to come off, but Callie still manages to finish in the top five. In the

Singapore Grand Prix The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural night race and first street circuit in Asia designed for Form ...

, to Aiden's upsets, he is given advice by Devon, which leaves him to determine. In the race, he finishes in the top five, securing more points to the team. Callie confronts her father in the São Paulo Grand Prix, where the latter reveals he funded Konnersport solely for business reasons. During the end of the safety car lap, Callie finishes in the top five. During the team's briefing in

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, Casper snaps at Davidoff and tells him to leave the team meeting, while Aiden apologises to Callie. During the race, Aiden suffers a mechanical failure and is forced to retire. Devon, seeing the team in danger, gives a fake order to Callie claiming not to push the car too hard, prompting her to drive faster and finish in the top four, achieving the goal that was required to keep Butler Global with them and thus allowing the team to stay in Formula One. In the aftermath of the race, Butler Global's funding is secured. As Konnersport is set for their next season, Aiden tells the media that he will stay if Casper retains his team principal position, with Butler Global set to renew their sponsorship with the team, while Callie says she is looking forward to her next season.

Development and release

''F1 23'' was teased in March 2023 by its developers as a "fresh start" for the series.

, who worked on the series since '' F1 2009'', and

returned to work on the game. A new trailer showcasing the "Konnersport Butler Global Racing Team" was released on 28 April, with the official trailer launched on 3 May. Prior to the reveal, a closed beta was made available. The game features two covers, with

Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...

on both the original and revised versions of the Champions' Edition cover, with the latter being shown without his helmet with a different winning pose, and

Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

, and

Lando Norris Lando Norris (; born 13 November 1999) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Norris was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with McLaren, and has won Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix ...

on the standard edition cover. The game was released on

, and

on 16 June, with the Champions Edition of the game available three days earlier on 13 June. Pre-ordering the ''Champions' Edition'' of ''

F1 24 ''F1 24'', officially ''EA Sports F1 24'', is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the seventeenth entry in the ''F1 (video game series), F1'' series and holds the license for the 2024 Formula One and ...

'' grants access to the

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

liveries of McLaren, Alpine, Haas, and Williams, all of which were released through a post-launch update.

Reception

''F1 23'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. The game was praised for its revised handling model, the AI, and the inclusion of red flags. Many critics considered ''F1 23'' to be an improvement over its predecessor '' F1 22''. Braking Point 2 was also praised for its CGI graphics, the characters, voice performances, plot, and the new team, Konnersport.

Notes

References

External links