F1 2016 gets multiplayer for 22 drivers

Today, we’re very happy to reveal that F1 2016, the official videogame of the 2016 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, will take you deeper into the sport than ever before with 22 player online racing, and the introduction of features such as the Formation Lap and manual starts.

We’re taking you to the next level by replicating the real world sport like never before with the Formation Lap appearing for the first time, allowing you to experience the height of the pre-race tension and warm your tyres in preparation for the all-important start.

We’ve also released a new trailer, which is below, which features in-game footage and shows off the new time-of-day editor, action from the paddock and hospitality area, including your engineer and agent, as well as the pit lane, grid and track.

Alongside the previously announced Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car (which you can read here), F1 2016 will also include manual race starts. You’ll need to engage your clutch and balance your revs, as you wait for the lights to go out. Your reaction time is vital here, as too early and you risk a jump start, or getting stuck on the grid as the anti-stall engages.

You’ll also be able to have manual control over your pit lane entry and braking, so you can look to minimising the time lost when pitting. You’ll also need to brake in time to avoid a penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which is also a feature included in F1 2016, along with a new five second pit stop penalty.

We talked to Principal Games Designer Lee Mather about this:

“We strive to create a game that is as close to the actual sport as possible. We have listened to the feedback from our community and that has resulted in us introducing the Safety Car, Virtual Safety Car, Formation Lap, manual race starts and the host of other gameplay features that get us even closer to the real sport and add to the experience for the player.

“Increasing the multiplayer support to 22 players was extremely important to us,” added Lee. “We want to be able to fill the whole grid with human players to create those great race moments and stories. It also provides greater support for online leagues.”

With multiplayer support for up to 22 drivers, you can form a full grid of human players across the 21 circuits featured in the 2016 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including the tight Baku street circuit, the latest addition to the calendar.

The more observant of you will have noticed the pit wall boards in some of our previous screenshots, these will be in-game, delivering crucial information to you, presenting you with exactly what you see while watching a race. There’s also a realistic penalty system and car damage sensitivity, and for the very first time in the franchise, we’ve introduced wheel tethers as well.

We’re very proud to announce our brand new pro surfaces: remodelled kerbs, and surfacing add to the level of realism. We’ve also been adding new physics into the game, allowing you really emulate the sport.

This is alongside our previously announced career mode in single player, where you’re able to create your own legend in the expansive Career Mode which stretches for up to ten seasons and includes drama both on and off the track.