F1 2020 Game Coming July 10 Might Release Before Season Starts

Codemasters has announced F1 2020, which races on to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Google Stadia this summer.

It’s the latest installment in the long-running franchise, which recreates motorsports’ top-tier series in full detail. That includes all 10 teams, the cars, the drivers, and every one of the circuits.

Of course, this year’s F1 season hasn’t actually started yet. The ongoing global coronavirus situation put the kibosh on the 2020 season just days before the Australian Grand Prix. To date, nine races have either been cancelled (Australia, Monaco) or postponed (Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, China, Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam).

Currently the first race still on the calendar is the French Grand Prix, scheduled for the final weekend of June. The Austrian Grand Prix follows a week later. However, a recent extension on mass-gathering bans through mid-July threatens the French race. Austria could be different, with the government saying it “won’t stand in the way” of the July 5 race, according to Autosport. Nonetheless, it means the release of the game may be fans’ first look at all of the cars and tracks of the original season plans, albeit digitally.

The big news this year is the addition of two new circuits from Vietnam and the Netherlands. Vietnam’s Hanoi street circuit is brand new, featuring 23 corners and one of the longest straights in the season. Meanwhile Circuit Zandvoort is a returning name to the calendar, one not seen since 1985. The revised track was meant to play host to the fifth race of the season, originally scheduled for early May.

F1 2020 will feature all 10 teams, with a new My Team feature allowing players to add an 11th to the grid. Players will take on the role of manager as well as driver, expanding on the team-based story mode that already sets the bar for the sim racing genre. Like last year’s online multiplayer spec car, players can paint up their team in a variety of custom liveries. In My Team, players will also be able to set the season length, from the full 22 races as well as 16 or even just 10.

Couch co-op will also return to the franchise with F1 2020. Split-screen is rare in modern racing games, so we welcome the ability to race with friends in person (even if we can’t right now).

This year’s title is celebrating one of the icons of the sport with a special Michael Schumacher Deluxe Edition. This version of the game arrives with four of the seven-time world champion’s earlier rides, from the gorgeous, 7Up-liveried Jordan 191 he started his F1 career in, to the F1-2000, the first Ferrari he won in. It also includes his two championship-winning Benettons of 1994 and 1995. Additional themed items such as car liveries are part of the pack too. Pre-ordering folks gain access to the game three days early.

F1 2020 releases July 10 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Google Stadia.