I chose to join the mid-tier McLaren Honda team, and after some introductory preamble started my first racing season in Melbourne, Australia. Lower-level teams also give you a boost to your career score, making the choice of an underdog an interesting and potentially more rewarding one. The top teams have higher expectations from their designated drivers, and set you goals such as winning the Championship within the first two seasons, while the lower-tier teams give you a longer period of grace before expecting a season full of podium finishes. All eleven official Formula One teams and their drivers are represented, and there are essentially three tiers of manufacturers. Once you've entered your name and nationality, chosen an avatar and race number, and designed your own helmet from a set of templates, you start your 10-season career by choosing a racing team. The centerpiece of F1 2016 is its comprehensive career mode. It's simultaneously highly exciting and nerve-wracking. Their handling borders on the twitchy, and much of the time it feels like you're driving on a knife-edge, with little to no margin for error. Thanks to the enormous downforce they exert, corners can be taken at blistering velocities under full acceleration, and braking is fast and very aggressive. It takes some time to get used to the sheer speed of the game – and indeed the handling of F1 cars.

In this game you're dropped in at the deep end, and instantly get to slip behind the wheel of some of the quickest racing vehicles on the planet. You slowly upgrade to faster autos, and are given plenty of time to adjust to their improved handling and speed. In most racing games, you start out driving a steady, sensible car.

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F1 2016 pc teams