Form up on the starting grid: F1 Online, the free-to-play browser-based F1 management sim, is now live. Build your own F1 team up, manage all the behind the scenes car fiddling, and then hop on the track and prove that you can be the next McLaren or Williams.
It’s your team. I kind of like the idea of the F1 Online world being dominated by “teh Pwnz0rs” or something similar. In among the rest of the licensed logos and teams, yours is right there competing for the podium. You’ll be asked to take on the biggest jobs of running a team: from research car tech to boost your vehicles performance, to hiring staff and adding buildings to the R&D dept to keep the car on the track. You’ll even take on commercial deals to maximise your income.
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And, of course, you’ll end up behind the wheel to drive your prize-car in online multiplayer races. Everything from Time Trials to a Grand Prix is playable, all on officially licensed tracks. This isn’t one for those with a customised steering wheel: the sim part is rather light. Wouldn’t it be interesting if real F1 followed suit, and all the rich owners of the teams had to be the drivers as well? That would result in those powerful, speedy cars driving at 23 mph.
Here’s the trailer: lap it up.