The 2017 season has seen a huge number of changes to the sport itself, with the stunning new car designs not only looking great, but having lap record breaking performance levels to match. The opening races of the season have further thrilled fans with the increased competition on the grid, as Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel battle it out at the top of the Championship, and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen continuing to excite fans around the world.

F1 2017 v1.9 patch, containing the much requested updated car liveries, as well as some other new features (which we’ll tell you about below), is now live on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Liveries

Want to check out the updated liveries? We thought you might, and so here’s some screenshots for you to have a look at – click to see them in stunning 4K.

Spectator Mode

That’s not all though, patch 1.8 also contains a brand new spectator mode. You can see how this is going to look below:

So, what’s been added to spectator mode? The left side of the screen will feature a TV style broadcast element, which, along with showing the current running order, can also show different information, such as:

• gap to the race leader
• gap to the car ahead or behind
• positions lost or gained
• fastest lap times
• current tyre compound
• in the pits
• number of pit stops

As a spectator, you’ll be able to control what information is shown. You’ll also be able to see live timing for the car you’re spectating, fastest laps, as well as sector specific yellow flags. If you don’t want to see any of this information as a spectator, though, you will be able to disable (or enable!) as you please.

Photo Mode

We’re not finished yet; we’re also rolling out Photo Mode for all platforms, having previously only been available on PC, so you’ll be able to showcase those perfect moments whether you’re playing on PC, PS4 or Xbox One.

Patch Notes

This isn’t all that’s in 1.9 though, you can check out the full patch notes here:

New Features

• New Spectator UI has been added to game.
• LAN Mode has been added to PS4 and PC versions.
• New Grid editor available in custom multiplayer modes.
• Photo Mode is now available on PS4 & Xbox One.
• Sports Update – Updated car and driver liveries.
• Sports Update – Updated car performance levels.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where continuing an online championship resulted in a crash.
• Fixed an issue in multiplayer where blue flags were occurring at the start of a race once OSQ had finished.
• Fixed issue where players could be disqualified at the end of a race if they were disqualified during the formation lap.
• Fixed an issue in Multiplayer where the player position panel was showing incorrect positions when the spectating qualifying sessions.
• Fixed a multiplayer issue where players were starting a race in the wrong cars after OSQ if host migration had occurred.
• Fixed an issue where using an instant replay in practice and qualifying could cause the tyre models on all cars to disappear.
• Fixed an issue with a flickering skybox during dynamic weather events.
• Fixed an issue with lod popping on drivers heads when looking backwards with the camera during a race.
• Fixed an issue where changing display resolution or Alt-Tabbing during gameplay caused severe lighting and graphical issues.
• Fixed an issue where a white object was clipping through the players helmet.
• Fixed an issue where tabbing out during a race in heavy rain caused water kick-up to stop working.
• Fixed an issue with incorrect car images being shown in the standings screen after resuming a classic championship.
• Fixed an issue where Jeff repeated that he didn’t receive your last message.
• Fixed an issue where Jeff would use the wrong VO lines when requesting to box this lap pitting during practice programs.
• Fixed an audio issue with the end of race commentary incorrectly stating a SC made an impact in the race after only a VSC was used in race.
• Improved AI drivers ability when defending the inside line.
• Improvements to AI pace balance between qualifying and race sessions.
• AI Difficulty is now applied correctly in multiplayer sessions.
• AI will now pit under the SC for optimal strategy instead of waiting for the SC to go in.
• Player no longer told to catch SC when leading the race and already behind the SC.
• Fixed an issue where the AI attempts to overtake a player with FW damage under SC conditions and then receive no penalties.
• Increased the likelihood of SC & VSC periods occurring in online championships.
• Fixed an issue where double points were being awarded for the AI when a player retired with terminal damage.
• In career mode players can now use the laptop and not lose the opportunity to compete in a invitational event.
• Fixed an issue which could show incorrect development time in weeks on R&D parts.
• Driver number No 1 appears on car instead of 0 after winning drivers championship.
• Fixed an issue where stop-go penalties could be ignored without receiving a penalty.
• Achievement / Trophy – Up to Eleven will now unlock correctly.
• Added the 2nd DRS detection zone to Baku and updated track map video.
• Added pre-set controls for Heusinkveld pedals.
• Fixed an issue where the Thrustmaster TX wheel was displaying Xbox Icons for all rim presets.
• Fixed an issue where gearbox wear would stay at 0% when using no assists and manual gears during a 100% race weekend.
• Fixed an issue where tyre allocations were defaulting to balanced after returning to weekend set-up screen.
• Rebalanced medium traction control performance.
• Fixed an issue with the ‘Find Me’ button on the leaderboard scrolling 100 places rather than to the player’s position.
• Fixed an issue where Sauber and Mercedes were always the most interested teams when reputation levels are maxed out.
• Various other fixes and improvements.

Consumers who pre-order or purchase ‘Day One’ copies of F1 2017 will have exclusive access to the iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4, as part of the 'F1 2017 Special Edition.' Alternatively, the McLaren MP4/4 car will be available to be purchased at a later date. The eleven other classic cars are available in all editions of the game.

F1 2017 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam).