You can toggle weather report accuracy, the frequency of mechanical issues, parc ferme restrictions. Running underneath all of this, the wealth of player choice in the options menus is superlative. Development points gained from practice sessions really feel important as the teams rise and fall in strength as the season develops. The skill tree system remains deep, yet easy to understand, and is all beautifully interwoven into the authentic, full-weekend experience. The usual practice sessions return and are mandatory in career mode, though they can be skipped or simulated. Having a rival to beat when you're otherwise deep in mid-pack obscurity again makes a massive difference to the enjoyment of the game and you'll find yourself eagerly scanning the timesheets to see if Carlos Sainz is indeed the 'smooth operator', or if it is, in fact, you.

Sprint races are in, too, as is the full, playable 2021 F2 line-up, making this a convincing and complete career package if you go all-in. Obviously that particular magic will only be available for a few more months, but it's still a really nice touch for anyone heavily invested in the real sport. As with FIFA, EA's servers will download current drivers' real-world standings and car performance, which not only means realistic positions for drivers during races (aside from Mick Schumacher, who is OP), but also the returning ability to start your season at the current point of the real 2022 season. There are also some past stars like Prost, Senna and Schumacher available to recruit as an anachronistic team-mate, which is ace, though their demands are so high that even if you can afford them, they might still turn their noses up at your R&D facilities. Or you can start with pockets full of cash and a capable engineering department, allowing you to challenge for the title immediately.

Now with three tiers of initial funding, you can start with limited resources and attempt to build your team into a frontrunning outfit.

F1 2016 pc game review