The first F1 game since EA acquired Codemasters earlier this year, F1 2021 is slated to hit PC and consoles next month, bringing several new features to the annual motorsport franchise. It will introduce a co-operative online career mode, the ability for players to hop into an ongoing Formula 1 season using the Real Season Start feature, and a brand new story-focused campaign known as Braking Point.
The latter was a significant part of F1 2021's initial reveal back in April, with Codemasters and EA teasing that it'll follow an up-and-coming racer's rise through the ranks of Formula 1, allowing players to tackle the rivalries and dramas that arise along the way. Earlier today, the two companies shed a little more light on what to expect from Braking Point through a new blog post, including the fact that players will be able to race for one of five Formula 1 teams.
Also included is a breakdown of some of its main characters, with F1 2021 teasing the cast will be comprised of "new and returning" faces. Players will take on the role of Aiden Jackson, a young prodigy who's racing in his first F1 season. The post notes that he's anxious about his rise to the big leagues despite the fact he's being scouted to join several bigger teams. Jackon apparently has a lot of admiration for his veteran teammate Casper "Cas" Akkerman, another new character that Codemasters describes as having an "ice-cold and no-nonsense approach." Cas has long been one of the top drivers in the F1, although the campaign will see him struggling to keep up with the younger talent breaking onto the scene.
In terms of names fans of the F1 games will be familiar with, Braking Point's antagonist, Devon Butler, is sure to ring a bell. The character first cropped up in F1 2019's career mode, where he was a rival to the player character during their stint in F2. It seems he'll be a foil to the protagonist once again, with Codemasters teasing that he's "more than a cocky, loud-mouthed upstart" this time around and has become a highly respected F1 prospect in spite of his controversial off-track antics.
The final two characters detailed are Brian Doyle and Zoe Akkerman. Doyle is described as a larger-than-life "direct liaison to the team principal," keeping the player's team together and running a "well-oiled machine." Zoe Akkerman, on the other hand, is Casper Akkerman's wife, with post detailing her as the "bedrock of his world." It notes that she offers a "sympathetic ear" for her husband as he struggles to compete with the motorsport promotion's rising talent. Braking Point's characters will join an extensive roster of F1 legends slated to appear in the game, with Codemasters even recently confirming that Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Alain Prost are all included.
F1 2021 will be available on July 16 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: EA