In F1 2018, players develop their cars by spending “development points”, which are earned by meeting research and development targets during free practice sessions. Codemasters have introduced a wider range of free practice programmes to the game in a bid to extend the game’s longevity.
At the halfway point of each championship, the player has the option of ending their development cycle and banking all future development points for the next championship. This function has a renewed importance in F1 2018 as teams are subject to rule changes at the end of each championship which can potentially compromise the car’s performance.
As with previous titles, F1 2018 includes “Classic Cars”. It includes the McLaren M23 and Ferrari 312T, which were driven by James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 championship; the Brawn BGP 001, the car with which Jenson Button and Brawn GP won the 2009 World Drivers’ and World Constructors’ Championships.
As the game is based on the 2018 Championship, the Circuit Paul Ricard will make its debut in the series. The Hockenheimring, which was last featured in F1 2016, will make its return to the game.