Building on the exciting new partnership with Max Verstappen, who now boasts EA Sports branding on the chin of his helmet, the back-to-back World Champion is confirmed as the cover star for the digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition.

Braking Point returns for a bold new chapter following the careers of young upstart Aiden Jackson, and protagonist, Devon Butler, now teammates for Konnersport Racing Team, a fledgling organization hoping to succeed against the current real-world F1 teams and drivers. Adding a host of new characters, fresh rivalries, and racing challenges, both aim to take their careers to the next level, but there will be twists, turns, and pitfalls along the way.

F1 23’s handling has been upgraded from last season, allowing for more predictable behavior, and new vehicle physics gives the cars better traction when braking, accelerating, and cornering. By incorporating actual F1 team feedback, a greater balance between aerodynamics and tyre grip results in a more realistic feel. Engine torque and inertia improvements also mean throttle control is more authentic and offers a greater level of connection to the car. Alongside these improvements, Precision Drive controller technology will give pad players better control and confidence in those crucial race moments.

Following on from the reveal of EA Sports F1 23 last week, dive into the details you might have missed and more about what to expect ahead of launch

Handling and Physics Changes

F1 23's handling and physics have had a significant upgrade on previous years, resulting in better handling, low-speed traction, and overall vehicle driveability.

Veteran players will immediately notice a difference, as vehicle behaviour in particular is more authentic thanks to three key areas of reworking: acceleration, braking, and cornering.

Updates to physics calculations for the slip of the tyres and how this interacts with the inertia of the car have been made. Plus, the way each car's engine delivers torque has been refined, with more progressive steps relative to gear and throttle input.

On-track surfaces such as kerbs and rumble strips will be noticeably more pronounced, thanks to improvements made to the underfloor of each car, delivering a more true-to-life experience.

Adopting feedback from real F1 teams and drivers such as Anthony Davidson, players will notice a closer balance between mechanical grip from tyres and aerodynamic grip from the cars.

All these changes result in F1 23 offering the most authentic F1 driving experience around.

Introducing Precision Drive

Whilst the reworked handling and physics changes will be instantly noticeable when using a force-feedback steering wheel, players on pad will also recognise some radical improvements too. 

F1 23 will debut Precision Drive controller technology, offering those who play on pad an entirely overhauled experience.

Right off the bat, you'll notice a more direct feel for greater accuracy with each steering input, evident in all situations from full-lock on hairpins to smaller correctional changes through sweeping corners. 

Whether your driving style is smooth and flowing or more suited to sustained aggression, you’ll start to feel a lot more confident across each circuit and during those crucial wheel-to-wheel battles.

A New Race Distance

Whilst some players want to tackle full race lengths that mirror those in the sport, others may prefer shorter options for less time-intensive play sessions. 

For those players, a new 35% race distance - previously only seen in F1 Esports - strikes the perfect balance between the short and long race options, whilst still adhering to the same rules that apply to full races, such as the mandatory pitstop rule. 

This new race distance offers even greater variety when it comes to replicating your favourite race weekends in F1 23.

Return of Red Flags

Red flags have become increasingly more popular in real-world F1 races, forcing teams to tear up their existing strategies in preparation for race restarts. 

Making their return to the series after nine years in F1 23, red flags will add even more drama to proceedings, as you’ll need to rethink your plans on-the-fly as you head back to the pits. 

A red flag can either be triggered by racing incidents caused by other drivers in multiplayer, by the AI in offline modes, or during periods of extreme wet weather conditions.

As with the real sport, you’ll be able to adjust your race strategy, fit new tyres, and repair some damage to your car before the race restarts. Additionally, the sensitivity of red flags can be adjusted in the menu to suit your preference.

Las Vegas and Lusail

As previously mentioned at F1 23's reveal, two brand-new racing locations will be making their debut at launch - the Las Vegas Street Circuit in Nevada, USA and the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.

The Las Vegas Street Circuit has been built from the ground up and was created using thousands of reference photos and substantial photogrammetry data to offer the authentic experience, even before it’s raced in the real-world.

For the Losail International Circuit, official FOM computer-aided design combined with ArcGIS World Atlas aerial imagery, height data, and photogrammetry of the circuit were all used to create the most accurate representation of this circuit.

As a reminder, Circuit Paul Ricard (France), Shanghai International Circuit (China), and the Algarve International Circuit (Portugal) - better known as Portimão - will all be included when F1 23 launches as legacy tracks for use in various different game modes.

Even More

We’ve barely scratched the surface on what’s coming to F1 23.

Braking Point 2, F1 World, enhanced multiplayer, as well as the return of Career and My Team make for an exciting package. We’ll have more details to share on these in the coming weeks.

Following community feedback, 35% race distance makes its debut, providing the perfect sweet spot between the previous short and long race options. Additionally, red flags add a new strategic element to F1 23, and the ability to react quickly could change the outcome of a race, both for better and worse. Alongside the full 2023 season calendar, which expands to include Las Vegas and Lusail, the game also boasts three legacy circuits, with Paul Ricard (France), Shanghai (China), and Portimão (Portugal) all confirmed for launch.

The introduction of the F1 World hub delivers a fresh experience with content inspired by the real-world calendar. Helping introduce players to the complex world of Formula 1, F1 World brings together multiple game modes, including Time Trial and Grand Prix, offering an exciting new way to play the game. A new progression system allows players to level up by completing challenges to unlock car upgrades, new liveries, race suits, and helmets. A new safety rating system links online and offline play, encouraging drivers to race cleanly. This system also helps pair like-minded drivers more efficiently for improved online racing.

The digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition comes with time-limited Las Vegas content*, Max Verstappen Race Wear Pack, Braking Point 2 Icons and Vanity Item Pack, Dual Entitlement**, four new My Team Icons, an XP Boost, F1 World Bumper Pack, 18,000 PitCoin and three days early access starting on June 13. A physical and digital Standard Edition featuring EA Sports ambassador Charles Leclerc alongside Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris will be available from June 16 with F1 World Starter Pack and 5000 PitCoin for those who pre-order.

F1 23 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (EA App/Epic Games Store/Steam) on June 16, 2023.