Review by: Rob Zacny

Formula 1 is never just about the racing. F1 is a team sport, as much a contest of engineers and mechanics as one between drivers. The teams develop and deploy new car components across a season-long engineering arms race. Countless races are won and lost in the pits, where a blindingly fast tire change can bring victory more surely than the fastest lap. Then there is the soap opera that comes from the explosive combination of egos, talents, and money. F1 transcends racing, and that's what makes the sport fascinating. That's also why many people despise it.

Codemasters understand all of that, which is why F1 2010 is a great F1 game in spite of serious flaws as a racing game. The action on the track is properly situated in a broader context of team politics, technological development, and relentless careerism.

When you start a new career in F1, you have to join one of the weaker teams. At first, your chief opponent is your teammate, because the first order of business is to establish yourself as the team's principal driver. The top driver gets to choose how the car is improved during the season, and receives early access to upgrades. This is a solid way of representing team politics: earlier this season, Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel basically went to war over a new front wing, and this game shows why.

On top of that, your team sets performance goals for every race. For the most part, these are perfectly appropriate. Lotus might want you to qualify 20th or better, and finish 18th or better, both of which are totally doable in a mediocre car. Complete the objectives and you win reputation levels, which determine your eligibility for better teams.

After races, a reporter will ask some questions about how the season is going. The results of these interviews seem fairly inconsequential next to race performances, but they do have an impact on your career. Teams watch what you say, and presenting yourself in the right way can win you greater notice with other teams, or alienate your own. Sometimes this is a worthwhile trade: I was openly provocative and angry when I was outperforming a senior teammate, but not being treated equally. In short order, he was demoted to the second spot on the team.

Most of the racing takes place in the context of a race weekend. Codemasters' presentation here is absolutely wonderful, from the garage crew tinkering on the car to the display they mount over the wheel while you await your next turn out on track. It's a brilliant way to present the typical menu and setup options, and it provides some immersive moments. I always get a thrill when my engineer crackles through my headset, "Car to track, car to track," as the mechanics remove the jacks and the engine roars to life.