The next Formula One game, F1 24, will be released by EA Sports on May 31. This year’s version puts a lot of focus on handling and adds more tracks, like Spa-Francorchamps and improvements to Career Mode. Not only does the series’ Dynamic Handling system get better, but it also changes the tire model, the way the power unit behaves, and the way the suspension moves. The chassis is where F1 24’s physics will start to more accurately show how roll centers, anti-dive and anti-squat effects, camber, and toe angle change over time. Casey Ringley, a senior game designer who leads vehicle handling, said that the link between steering geometry and wheel loading was also considered. By “providing useful feedback loops” like those found in real-world vehicles, these changes make the cars easier to drive and more reliable. The tires are given more accurate slip curves and contact patch loading, which changes how they wear and feel throughout a session. Better handling of heat and more complex interactions with the environment should make rubber wear out more truly than in previous games. Also, new wet-weather mechanics raise the grip floor, which makes it harder for vehicles to turn when it’s wet. At a press meeting that Invoice Pricing was a part of, Ringley said, “One of the big changes we’ve made this year is that wet tracks affect tire slip curves.” “We used just to turn them up and down last year, so your performance dropped the same amount after the peak in dry and wet conditions.” In the rain, it was very hard to take pictures of them. “Now, you’re still losing grip, but it sort of rounds out the top of the slip curves, so you just have more control,” he added. Better thermal models will also help wet-weather racing since parts of the track that are wet and cool away from the racing line can, for example, keep breaking intermediates in good shape for longer. With the help of data from computational fluid dynamics, Codemasters has made it easier to simulate how slipstream and DRS use affect aerodynamics. So, the latter is now “more closely linked to” the amount of rear-wing drag, which is how it should have been from the start since DRS is basically a device that gives up rear downforce to boost speed. It’s also been said that the new DRS will act differently based on the aero profile of each team’s car. This means that when DRS is turned on for all constructors, players shouldn’t expect the same percentage speed boost or loss of grip. Ringley says that gamers will be able to feel the pros and cons of each team’s aero package. For example, Williams will prefer low-downforce tracks in 2023, while Red Bull and McLaren will be better at mid-speed corners. You can now change the engine braking settings in the car configuration menu, just like any other setting. This changes how lift-and-coast and energy harvesting work. Also, every Energy Recovery System setting can be used during every session, whether it’s practice, qualifying, or racing. This replaces a feature that wasn’t available in earlier versions. With a new differential toggle in the in-race multi-function display, players can change the intensity of ERS deployment on the fly based on the track or race strategy. When you put these changes together, they show that physics has gotten a lot better. When asked how the dynamics of Formula One 24 cars are different from those of earlier cars, Ringley said that Formula One 2020 had “great balance and a good reference point for how the cars behave and respond to inputs.” Fans should be happy about this because many players still think that 2020 is the best F1 game of our time, thanks in large part to its great driving model. The game’s release date, which is in just over a month, will bring more details about F1 24 to light.
