F1 2017 game UK release date, price, gameplay

With Lewis Hamilton dethroned and Nico Rosberg triumphant, if 2016 gave us anything good it was an exhilarating Formula One season. Codemasters excelled itself too with F1 2016, an immersive and well-built game with in-depth career mode and improved racing engines. Now, though, there’s a new game for 2017.

When is F1 2017 coming out?

F1 2017 UK release date: 25 August

Codemasters released the game in August as it did last year: F1 2016 came out on 19 August 2016. However, it wasn’t possible to predict this since F1 2015 came out on July 10 2015 and F1 2014 on 2 October 2014.

So you can battle for pole position (and the race wins) in the second half of the actual Formula 1 season starting from the Belgian Grand Prix.

The iOS and Android version is a simplified, but much cheaper edition of the game launched on 11 November 2016, so we’d expect the 2017 equivalent to be out around then, a year on.

How much does F1 2017 cost?

F1 2017 costs £49.99 for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, but the PC version is cheaper at £39.99 from Game.co.uk. This Special Edition gets you a proper disc, and also a Steelbook (below) and keyring. 

If you buy it on Steam, it’s £44.99.

For an app, the iOS and Android versions of F1 2016 are well priced at £7.99, so look out for a similar priced version of F1 2017 when the time comes. 

F1 2017 game: What platforms is F1 2017 on? 

F1 2017 is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Graphics are optimised for the  Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, running at 60fps in 4K.

F1 2015 and F1 2016 were not released for PS3 or Xbox 360, so F1 2017 definitely won’t be on either of those consoles.  

Codemasters has cited the need for the newest generation of console power for the series, hence why the older consoles don’t get versions. You may well need to upgrade your console if you’re dying to play F1 2017 (or upgrade your PC!).

F1 2017: Gameplay 

F1 2016 was a huge update to the series, with a new 10-season Career mode and a new street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

And there are plenty of improvements and changes in F1 2017 that should make it even better. However, prior to the game’s launch there was precious little information in terms of gameplay specifics.

Classics

One is the return of classic F1 cars. Twelve in total, Codemasters has promised, and all from the last 30 years. Whether you consider them ‘classic’ is 

Here’s the full list:

• 1988 McLaren MP4/4 (Day One exclusive – available as DLC later)
• 1991 McLaren MP4/6
• 1992 Williams FW14B
• 1995 Ferrari 412 T2
• 1996 Williams FW18
• 1998 McLaren MP4-13
• 2002 Ferrari F2002
• 2004 Ferrari F2004
• 2006 Renault R26
• 2007 Ferrari F2007
• 2008 McLaren MP4-23
• 2010 Red Bull RB6

You’ll be able to race these in career mode as part of invitational special races, but you’ll also be able to select them in multiplayer and other modes.

Management Skills

In last year’s game, a points-based car upgrade system was introduced and this has been fleshed out for 2017.

Now, it’s more than just parts upgrades: new skills involve part reliability and decreasing your crew’s pit stop time.

Track layouts

Game designer Lee Mather has said there will be new track layouts, which means the ability to select or race on a wider variety of layouts than previously. Silverstone Short is one of them, so that’s good news for UK F1 fans.

Career mode enhancements

Also promised is a ‘deeper’ career mode, numerous new gameplay types and new multiplayer modes. One of the gameplay types is Championships, which doesn’t really tell us much.