F1 22 Patch v1.09 Brings Title Closer To Release Quality

If you read my review of F1 22 you’ll know I wasn’t entirely happy with this title. However, with this patch I think it’s very close to getting where it probably should have been upon release. It’s at a point now where you might want to try it and see if the 2022 cars feel like something you want to drive on a regular basis. If not, make use of Steam’s refund policy.

Patch notes:

– Fixed an issue where the automatic gearbox hits rev-limiter for too long before upshifting
– Fixed an issue that caused radio commands to be disabled after using Flashback in certain circumstances
– Tyre temperatures are now correct when starting a race with no formation lap in offline modes
– Fixed an issue where players can receive incorrect penalties at Turn 4 of Australia
– Improved logic on AI leaving pit lane at Paul Ricard
– Lowered the threshold for enabling/disabling DRS in changeable conditions
– Fixed an issue where races cannot start when host spectates formation lap in Multiplayer
– Fixed an issue where players were unable to see other drivers’ lap times in Race Director
– Fixed an issue where cars with maximum downforce upgrades may incorrectly experience high tyre temperatures
– Fixed an issue where changes to race style settings and AI difficulty in Career mode may reset on game launch
– Fixed a timing issue causing incorrect sector and lap times when using Broadcast formation lap
– Renewing sponsorship contract on the same day as a Department Event can no longer be exceptionally long
– Fixed an issue where, in specific graphic settings, transparent boxes were sometimes appearing in-game
– General stability improvements
– Various minor fixes

Codemasters have also released new driver ratings for the title. However, this just underlines the fact that their car differences between the front and back of the grid aren’t properly balanced. When George Russell was in a Williams he was a 100% driver and if Hamilton or Verstappen were also a 100% driver (meaning, then got 100% out of their car) then they each should have had a similar rating because the car should be making the difference fast versus slow. The driver rating shouldn’t be used to ‘fudge’ the difference in the cars. Rant over.

Press release:

New Stats Reflect Driver Performance up to and Including FORMULA 1 ARAMCO MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2022. Russell Overthrows Leclerc in the Top Three and Guanyu Leads the Pack as the Most Improved Driver
Podium Pass Series 2 Launches August 24 Featuring Lando Norris Designed Items Available for All Players

Redwood City, Calif. – August 22, 2022 – Codemasters™ and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today released the first Driver Ratings update for EA SPORTS F1® 22, available for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC. This season, Formula 1® experts David Croft, Alex Jacques, and Anthony Davidson are collaborating with the studio to tweak the ratings to better reflect individual performance. While Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton maintain their positions at the top of the leaderboard, George Russell’s performances have seen him take third position from Charles Leclerc. There have been some notable rating changes across the bottom half of the grid as well.

Six drivers have seen their Overall Ratings increase, with Zhou Guanyu, George Russell and Mick Schumacher receiving the most significant ratings rise. Despite a number of race retirements early on in the championship, Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu saw his Overall Rating increase by five, with improved stats in Experience, Racecraft and Pace. Russell’s podium finishes in the last two races have taken his overall rating from 90 to 92, with substantial improvements in Racecraft and Pace. Additionally, Schumacher’s performances for Haas at Silverstone and Austria have also increased his Overall Rating by two, with improved scores in Experience, Racecraft and Awareness. Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Daniel Ricciardo have all seen improvements in their ratings.

“The F1® 22 Driver Ratings are a key element of My Team, the driver-owner game mode. By updating these in step with the real season it helps ensure that the game is even closer to the reality on the grid,” said Paul Jeal, F1® Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters. “Whilst the battle on track between Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari has been reflected in the latest update, we have also seen significant shifts in the middle and bottom of the pack with opportunities seized and missed by each of the drivers.”

Inconsistent performances from Monaco to Hungary have seen some drivers’ ratings take a tumble. Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc and Yuki Tsunoda have seen their Overall Rating reduced mainly due to Pace, while Pierre Gasly’s Awareness and Racecraft have also impacted his score. Esteban Ocon and Nicolas Latifi also lost a point in their Overall Rating.

The complete updated in-game F1® 22 Driver Ratings can be seen here.

Driver ratings are broken into four categories alongside an overall score. The categories are:

Experience (EXP): The number of race starts a driver has over the course of their career

Racecraft (RAC): The driver’s ability to work their way through the pack and finish in a higher position than where they started

Awareness (AWA): The less time spent in the Steward’s room will help drivers here. Real-world punishments will impact the score in this category

Pace (PAC): Benefits those who get closest to the fastest qualifying and race lap times. A driver beating their teammate is also taken into consideration

Rating (RTG): The combination of the previous four ratings. This overall rating will go up and down throughout the season based on performance

Additionally, F1® 22launches Podium Pass Series 2* for use in My Team and online modes on August 24. The new series is inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, celebrated in Chinese culture. Some of the key items gamers can get their hands on are the Lando Norris designed set in the free tier, and the Fish Lantern and Fire Dragon sets for the VIP tier. More information on the new series can be found on F1® 22’s blog on Wednesday.

Following two successful weekend trial sessions, cross-play will be fully integrated into the game from August 24. Players will now be able to compete against friends and foes across all devices and connect with racers around the world.*

For F1®22 news, visit theFormula 1® game website and follow the social channels onInstagram,Twitter,TikTok andYouTube

*Requires F1® 22 and all game updates to play.

PRESS ASSETS ARE AVAILABLE AT EAPressPortal.com

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.

In fiscal year 2022, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Titanfall, Plants vs. Zombies, Codemasters, DiRT, GRID and Project CARS are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, F1 and Formula 1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.

About Codemasters

Codemasters is an award-winning British video game developer with over 30 years of heritage. The company specialises in high-quality racing games including DiRT™, GRID™, Project CARS™, and the BAFTA award-winning official F1® series of videogames.

For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visitwww.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/codemasters.

Codemasters is an Electronic Arts studio (NASDAQ: EA)