What is F1 2019?

F1 2019 is the official PC racing simulation for the 2019 Formula One World Championship, developed and published by Codemasters. It covers all 21 circuits, all 20 drivers, and all 10 constructor teams from that season, and adds a layer most F1 fans had wanted for years: Formula 2. The F2 Feeder Series drops you into a handful of scenario-based races in the Dallara F2 2018 before your career in F1 even begins, pitting you against two fictional rivals - the scheming Devon Butler and your dutiful teammate Lukas Weber. It is a genuinely fresh career hook, even if the narrative evaporates the moment you graduate to F1 and the story just stops. After that intro burst, career mode reverts to familiar Codemasters territory: R&D upgrades, press interviews, manager talks, up to ten seasons, and a newly added driver transfer system that gives the grid a Football Manager quality, with Hamilton and Vettel potentially ending up at surprising teams by season three. On track, the handling is the headline. Tyre wear demands earlier braking and careful throttle application as fuel burns down; kerb abuse pitches you into spins if your entry angle is wrong; and running close behind another car bleeds your downforce, just like the real thing. The AI has been tightened up - no more single-file processions into Turn 1 - and difficulty scales far enough to satisfy both controller-only newcomers using the rewind and ABS assists and wheel-and-pedal veterans chasing fully authentic lap times. Braking does feel a touch easier to lock up compared to earlier entries, but that takes about a session to adjust to. Beyond career, the mode list is large. Time Trial, a standalone F2 Championship, classic car events featuring 18 machines from the 1972 Lotus 72D through to the 2010 Red Bull RB6, ranked and unranked multiplayer, custom league racing, and Weekly Events that bundle practice, qualifying and a race against matched opponents. Custom liveries for your multiplayer regulation car, unlockable via Competition Points, round it out. The Senna vs. Prost Legends content - eight challenge scenarios recreating their 1990 rivalry - is the one genuine disappointment: it was hyped heavily pre-release and lands as a shallow challenge mode with no real production value behind it. Skip the Legends Edition upgrade unless classic liveries are your thing. One practical note: the game was delisted from digital storefronts in 2022, so a key from a third-party store is currently the only PC route in. Online multiplayer is effectively dead at this point, but the career mode, classic car events, and Time Trial hold up fine for solo play. If you want current-season content or a living online community, the newer entries in the series will serve you better. But for anyone who values handling depth, an expansive car roster across eras, and a career mode with genuine decision-making weight, F1 2019 still does most things very well on its own terms.

Alex · Scout Team

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