F1 2016’s new career mode will take drivers deeper into the world’s most glamorous, exciting and prestigious motorsport, both on and off the track. The life-like recreation of the sport will be further enhanced by the addition of the sport’s iconic Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car, as well as the introduction of the challenging new street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix Of Europe.

““The new career mode sits at the heart of the game and allows gamers to create their own legend over a career that can span for up to a massive ten seasons. Beyond improving upon the fastest and most thrilling on-track racing experience in gaming, F1 2016 uniquely offers the drama and vehicle development that goes on behind the scenes. A rich car upgrade system is fully integrated into a new and deep practice development programme which mirrors the tests carried out by the teams in real life.”

“The career mode, together with the re-introduction of the Safety Car, the first inclusion of the Virtual Safety Car and a number of other unannounced improvements means that F1 2016 will have more new features than any other year of the franchise.”

In the new career mode players select an avatar to represent them within the game world as well as choosing a number to take with them through their career. They are then free to choose from any of the Formula One teams, all with different goals and expectations. It may be more challenging to start further down the grid, but it will also be easier to exceed team expectations. Players can earn contracts and move from team to team, or choose to develop their favourite team into a championship contender.

The new video features Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo and Jolyon Palmer from Renault Sport Formula One™ Team as they enjoy their first virtual laps of the Baku City Circuit and give their impressions on the challenging street circuit. The circuit itself is said to thrive on Baku's very attractive urban atmosphere and its great combination of history and 21st century style. The historic city center, the beautiful seaside promenade and the impressive architecture all combine to provide the perfect backdrop for the spectacular new track.

Speaking about his experience, Daniel commented: “I can’t think of anything like Baku... For the corners it looks like you want to have maximum downforce but I don’t think you can afford to run it because of the long straight. I think we will have to sacrifice some grip in the corners to keep up on the straight.”

Talking about Baku’s soon to be famous Turn 5, Jolyon Palmer said: “There’s some crazy corners and maybe the craziest there is in FORMULA ONE with the up the hill left and then straight into a blind right hander... It’s going to be easy to hit a wall. It’s very high speed. The challenge is huge!” Jolyon also said that practicing on the new circuit in the new F1 2016 videogame before the race itself meant that he now knows “...probably more than most others, maybe everyone in the field so, it's going to give me a little advantage."

To complement the on-track experience, and to expand the realism of the Career mode, F1 2016 includes stunning hospitality areas for each team that act as the player’s game hub. In this area they will work with their Research and Development Engineer and Player Agent to develop their progress both on and off the track. To further enhance the immersion, players will also be able to spot other key figures from the paddock within the hospitality areas.

In what is already a very exciting season, the 2016 season sees Azerbaijan become the latest addition to the Formula One calendar, with capital city Baku playing host to what could very well be the fastest street circuit of the season. Early screenshots show off the new time of day editor which allows players to dramatically customise the visuals of the race experience. The brand-new Haas F1 Team makes their debut in the 2016 FIA Formula One World championship, and in the process become the first all-American-led F1 team in three decades.

Codemasters also announced that there will be a Limited Edition of the game to pre-order which includes the F1 2016 ‘Career Booster Pack DLC, which will give players a head start in their F1 career. It gives the user a ‘Research and Development boost’ that applies a percentage increase to all research and development credits earned by the player in each session in the new career mode. Exclusive Career Helmet and Laptop designs are also included. Once the player has selected their choice for their Career Helmet, this design is then applied to the laptop located within the Career hub.