I write this post as the latest game in the series ‘F1 2011’ is launched and yes it includes the new Buddh International circuit at Noida. Its coded by codemasters and is marketed by Zapak in India.

The game has a number of new gameplay options, one of which is the much awaited co-op mode, you and your friend compete as formula one racing partners for a team. I have just got my review copy and cant wait to play it out. If you are looking for features, they are all listed here. You can also view the release trailer here, the graphics look simply awesome ! Am awaiting my Xbox copy to really see the HD graphics

The game is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

F1 2011™ is the sequel to the BAFTA winning FORMULA ONE™ videogame from Codemasters®, the developer and publisher of award-winning racing games. Developed under Codemasters’ exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One   World Championship Limited, F1 2011 will come complete with all the official drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE World Championship™. Zapak Games, the licensing & merchandising arm of Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd. will distribute the title in India.

Developed using Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform F1 2011 will deliver an unrivalled FORMULA ONE experience that puts players into the heart of the world’s most exciting sport, powered by cutting edge graphics, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

· Go Compete!  F1 2011 builds extensively on the multiplayer options from F1 2010. Split-screen racing is included for the first time in a high-definition FORMULA ONE title. Competitive online racing is extended with 16 players going head-to-head in GRAND PRIX™ with up to 8 AI drivers added to simulate the full grid of 24 drivers. An innovative new co-op Championship enables two players to lead their favourite FORMULA ONE team to Driver and Constructor glory across the course of a FORMULA ONE season. These enhancements are complimented by additional quick fire modes including Time Attack.

· New Circuits for 2011. Two stunning new additions to the race calendar extend the number of circuits to feature in F1 2011 to 19. Players will be able to debut ahead of the drivers on the Buddh International Circuit, the home of the first FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF INDIA and players will be able to test themselves on the iconic Nürburging circuit for the first time in High Definition, as this legendary track returns for the 2011 season.

· Be the driver, live the life.  From the paddock to the track, F1 2011 takes players closer to the experience of being a FORMULA ONE driver than ever before. A new Parc Ferme area, an expanded and revamped Paddock, new Pit Lane, celebration and reaction cinematics and an enhanced media interaction system fully immerse players in the glamour, pressure and excitement of being a FORMULA ONE driver. Players progress from rookie to FIA FORMULA ONE DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPION in an extensive career mode where gamers fight to become priority driver and shape the development of the car by performing well in races and earning performance upgrades.

· All the cars, all the stars. Fully licensed, F1 2011 features all the drivers set to contest the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. All 2011 teams are represented including Ferrari, Red Rull Racing, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Lotus Renault GP in their iconic black and gold livery.

· KERS, DRS and more! F1 2011 includes all the new rule changes set to make this year’s season the most exciting yet. F1 2011 debuts DRS (Drag Reduction System) – the new system which enables drivers to adjust the rear wing on the car to give a boost of up to 10km. KERS also returns, giving players an extra 80BHP for up to 6.67 seconds, enabling drivers to blast past rivals. Combined, these systems encourage close wheel-to-wheel racing with new options for both defence and attack. This season’s new Pirelli tyres are faithfully simulated in the game, and if players push their car too hard they may experience a range of authentic new damage failures.

· Full Day / Night Racing. The 2011 FORMULA 1 ETHIAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX comes alive with a full day/ night transition which recreates the special atmosphere at this unique track. Every one of the existing circuits from the 2010 roster has been given a complete visual overhaul. New atmospheric effects, including dynamic clouds, compliment a weather system which features an advanced rain model that affects on-track grip.  Powered by the EGO Game Technology Platforms, F1 2011 pushes forward the graphical standard of what can be achieved in a racing game.

· The world’s greatest cars, the most exciting racing. Building on the heritage of producing award-winning racing games for over a decade, Codemasters is uniquely placed to realise the spectacle and exhilaration of racing 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars for all fans. F1 2011 can be tuned for players from a wide range of skill levels, from the casual gamer to the hardcore simulation enthusiast and those in between, with a range of differing skill levels. A huge range of vehicle variables can be tuned to suit each player’s unique driving style, or drivers can entrust their Race Engineer to set their car up and head straight onto the track. F1 2011 will support a comprehensive range of racing wheels for the ultimate racing experience.

· Unprecedented authenticity. Codemasters has used its unprecedented access to the world of FORMULA ONE to connect the development team directly with FORMULA ONE teams and tyre manufacturers. Extensive consultancy has taken place with a range of FORMULA ONE professionals, including race engineers, mechanics and drivers. This has been combined with real world data including CAD and on-board telemetry to deliver a race experience complete with authentic handling, accurate circuits and precisely modelled racing cars.

· EGO powered FORMULA ONE. F1 2011 is being developed on the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO engine. Enabling Codemasters development talent to share tools and technology across Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

We will soon be posting a testimonial to the track club day where you can get a chance to compete in real racing cars and fulfill your dreams of driving like Schumacher/Hakkinen/Hamilton (take your pick).

After you’ve taken part in a supercar driving experience or one of the increasingly popular Formula One-style driving experiences, you’ll most likely be aching all over – using all those unfamiliar muscles and being subjected to all that power in the confined space of the car’s cockpit is exhilarating, but also totally exhausting.

So as you’re nursing your lower back muscles, spare a thought for what pro drivers have to go through for 90 minutes or so of flat-out concentration, stamina and skill in the beating sun! Your driving experience will have given you some taste of what it takes – but read this and you’ll have renewed respect for the pros…

Heat is a primary concern for any athlete, and in Formula One training facilities, drivers are subjected to exercise programmes involving specialised heat chambers. Drivers can lose up to 3kg of their bodyweight during a single race.

Reflexes are paramount in a sport dealing in performance differences of fractions of a second per lap. Formula One drivers train using a machine called BATAK, a unit of LED clusters which must be stretched towards and touched when they light up to train and improve response times.

Physical strength conditioning is very specific with Formula One drivers – the neck is under five or six Gs of pressure and with the weight of a helmet, the neck has to cope with supporting up to 24 kgs of weight. Neck, shoulder and chest muscles need to be trained ruthlessly with specialist unforgiving robot gym machines, and with the use of large elastic bands to imitate G-Forces and train them to cope with the strain. The core muscles of the midriff and abdomen are also key to success: F1 drivers train on exercise balls with blindfolds on to coax the microfine control over this area of the body they need out on the track.

Stamina-wise, experts believe an F1 drive can be as grueling as a 26-mile run. This literally marathon undertaking therefore requires up to four hours a day of intensive cardiovascular exertion. The typical F1 driver would have a 7% bodyfat ratio, achieved through swimming, cycling, jogging and even… rollerblading. And their heartbeats are measured at an average of 170 over the course of a 90-minute race – higher than in any other sport.

Nutrition and hydration for drivers mirrors that of top-class track and field athletes. It’s the familiar story of carb loading before a race, as well as the intake of huge amounts of water to combat dehydration and its attendant threat to concentration and focus.

Photos courtesy of the Porsche Human Performance Centre

For anyone who’s caught the driving experience bug, and is serious about finding out precisely how ‘fit to drive’ they are, driver fitness assessment facilities like the Porsche Human Performance centre located at Silverstone offer rigorous checks for athletes, monitoring all aspects of fitness related to driving in state-of-the-art facilities.

He thanked his family after the race:

“I want to dedicate this to my family because as you can see I’ve had some troubles over the last couple of weeks and it’s been really tough,” Hamilton said.

“But as always your family are there when you need them.”

“The last couple of weeks I’ve been flat out with working very hard, just a lot of travelling, many different things and different emotions building,” he said.

“I’ve had a couple of bad races, and coming here  it would have been nice to get some points and maybe a win. I thought a one-two would be possible.

“My mind’s always been right , I just had a lot on my plate, really. It’s nothing too serious, just life in general.

“Some of my personal life, working very hard. Just before the race I spoke to my brother and said I just hope I keep it on the track, and he said don’t worry about that, you’re a master in the wet. That was great to hear that.”

BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld came second, while Rubens Barrichello was a surprise third in his Honda. Kimi Raikkonen was 4th after a tyre blunder by Ferrari. Our pole position man Heiki Kovalainen was 5th.

2008 FIA Formula one British Grand Prix, Silverstone

1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren 1:39:09.440
2. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber +01:08.577
3. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 01:22.273
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1 lap
5. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 1 lap
6. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1 lap
7. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1 lap
8. Kazuki Nakajima (Jap) Williams – Toyota 1 lap
9. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams – Toyota 1 lap
10. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull – Renault 1 lap
11. Sebastien Bourdais (France) Toro Rosso – Ferrari 1 lap
12. Timo Glock (Germany) Toyota 1 lap
13. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 2 laps

R Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 21 laps
R Jenson Button (GB) Honda 21 laps
R Nelson Piquet (Bra) Renault 24 laps
R Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India – Ferrari 33 laps
R Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India – Ferrari 50 laps
R Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso – Ferrari Spin
R David Coulthard (GB) RedBull – Renault Spin

Fastest Lap of race : Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari 1:32.150, lap 18.

It was a day of surprises at the Silverstone, Heiki Kovalainen took pole position at the Silverstone track, while Mark Webber took a surprising second place. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was third in his scarlet Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton could only manage a dismal 4th place and was almost 8/10 of a second slower than the pole position man Heiki Kovalainen.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was unlucky as Ferrari were unable to send him out for another run when there was a problem changing one of his tyres.

Kovalainen was very excited with his maiden pole, he said

“It’s not going to be easy tomorrow, but my pace has been good all week, and I am confident our strategy will be a strong one as well. The target is to win the Grand Prix.

“It was quite difficult conditions. At the start of the final session, the wind picked up and I was all over the place. But it went much better on the second run.”

The difference in times of Webber and Coulthard seems to suggest a lighter fuel load for the top 2 cars on the grid. Kimi Raikkonen was also pleased with his time after the Friday practice session yesterday:

“Compared to yesterday it has been much better”

“Yesterday was very difficult, we have put in quite a lot of effort to try to sort my car out.

“We are not exactly where we want to be, but qualifying has never been my strongest point, and nobody knows how much fuel everyone is running.”  Kimi Raikkonen said

Force India F1 team had another disappointing session, Vijay Mallya’s outfit again brought up the back of the grid with Adrian Sutil outshining teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. Their so called ‘new aerodynamic package’ seems to be a big flop.

Qualifying Times for the formula one British Grand Prix 2008

1. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.049 seconds
2. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 1:21.554
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:21.706
4. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.835
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:21.873
6. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:22.029
7. Nelson Piquet (Bra) Renault 1:22.491
8. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:23.251
9. Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:23.305
10. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber no time
11. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault 1:20.174
12. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 1:20.274
13. Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:20.531
14. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:20.601
15. Kazuki Nakajima (Jap) Williams-Toyota 1:21.112
16. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 1:21.512
17. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1:21.631
18. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 1:21.668
19. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Ferrari 1:21.786
20. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari 1:21.885

Image Copyright : Ferrari Media

1 July 2008 – The British Grand Prix later this week will mark the mid-point of Force India’s debut Formula One World Championship season. It’s an appropriate place for the team to reach this milestone given the Silverstone Circuit, where the race is held, is right opposite Force India’s HQ. 

As such, the British Grand Prix is seen by many as the team’s ‘home’ race. Although preparations continue as normal, with the cars re-built at the factory and then taken on a transporter over to the circuit, it does make the event a special one for the team and their families.

Following a solid French Grand Prix Force India will be looking to move forward at Silverstone. At a three-day test at the same circuit last week, the team debuted a major new aero and mechanical package comprising new sidepods, bargeboards, diffuser, front wing, engine cover, inerter damper and further suspension modifications. With the developments looking positive, the team has every hope of an improved finish in the ninth round of the 18-round series. 

Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director
‘The British Grand Prix will be a special race for the Force India Formula One Team. With the history and heritage of this team and its location just opposite the main gates of the circuit, it’s obviously considered by the team as its home race.
‘In the past, when this team was Jordan Grand Prix, there was a real buzz whenever it came to Silverstone. The fans supported it, the media enjoyed it and the atmosphere in the factory was by all accounts electric. This team now really needs to remember those days and try and recapture some of the spirit. We’re moving forward, that’s for sure, and step by step improving, but I really want everyone to feel proud of where we are and what we have achieved. It’s this race in particular that really fires everyone up, let’s put this energy into a great performance in front of our ‘home’ crowd.’

Colin Kolles, team principal
‘For sure we all look forward to this race as it’s just across from the factory so family and friends can come more than they can to another race. We also have a lot of information about the track from being on its doorstep, so it does feel very familiar, but we don’t approach it any differently to any other event on the calendar. We ultimately have the same aims we always have. ‘The French Grand Prix clearly showed the steps forward we have made in reliability, with our first two car finish since the Bahrain Grand Prix, but now we need to be able to race competitively and finish ahead of people. 

‘From a performance point of view, we have a significant new aero and mechanical upgrade package we will use at Silverstone for the first time that I expect to move us closer to the field.’

Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer
‘At the mid point of the season I think we are fairly much where we expected to be. We are competitive in race conditions and are able to fight with the group in front. We’ve also had some good showings, with Monaco as a particular high point with Adrian. 
‘We have also tried to sustain a cycle of development to improve performance throughout the season and have moved forward compared to where we were last year, but unfortunately Formula One is so competitive this year that we’ve not been able to show this progress in our results. 

‘After a productive test at Silverstone, we’re looking forward to the British Grand Prix this week. We tested our new aero and mechanical configuration over the three days and received very positive feedback from all three drivers. There was more grip and downforce in general over one lap, and all reported an increased stability under braking.
‘It was unfortunate we lost some running time on Wednesday with Giancarlo’s accident, but the team was able to get the car repaired and we managed pretty much to catch up with the schedule and I’m confident we won’t see any knock-on effects this weekend.’
Driver quotes

Giancarlo Fisichella
‘I’m motivated to do well in Britain now we’ve got a solid finish under our belts at the last race in France. I’ve always enjoyed and done well at Silverstone. Even though it’s not a particularly distinctive track it’s very technical so you need a good driving rhythm, good pace, good balance and constant levels of grip. I also like the atmosphere there as the fans are very enthusiastic, particularly for any British team.
‘We’ll be introducing our new aero package for this race. We tested it at Silverstone last week and although my day of testing was pretty much cut in half by the accident, up to that point the car felt better than it has done in a while. Even though we know Silverstone is going to be tough too, any step forward will be a big help.  ‘I’m not feeling any ill effects from the accident: it really looked worse than it was, I only wish I
had remembered to take my hands of the wheel so it would have spared me the trip to
hospital!’

Adrian Sutil
‘I’m looking forward to Silverstone this year. It’s good to be at a circuit you really know well and you are comfortable at. We test here a lot and of course the factory is so close, it’s like our home race. Personally I like the track, it’s quite challenging and really one of my favourites. The atmosphere is great too, and with all the Lewis fans it should be a fantastic race.
‘The test here last week went well, we tried out the complete new aero package with the wheel covers, engine cover and of course the inerter damper that we hope will give us more stability. If everything works well together, both on the aero and mechanical side, it would be a good step forward for us, which we need at the moment. 

‘My target for this race would be to get everything working well and hopefully being in a
position where we could race and pass some cars. In Magny-Cours we were quite close, especially on my middle stint where the lap times were good, but we just need that little bit more to be able to get ahead of some others.’

Formula One British Grand Prix 2007 Results

1 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:21:43.074
2 Fernando Alonso (Spn) McLaren-Mercedes +00:02.459
3 Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 00:39.373

4 R Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 00:53.319
5 F Massa (Brz) Ferrari 00:54.063
6 N Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 00:56.336
7 H Kovalainen (Fin) Renault 1 lap behond
8 G Fisichella (Ita) Renault @ 1 lap
9 R Barrichello (Brz) Honda @ 1 lap
10 J Button (GB) Honda @ 1 lap
11 D Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault @ 1 lap
12 N Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota @ 1 lap
13 A Wurz (Aut) Williams-Toyota @ 1 lap
14 T Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri – Honda @ 2 laps
15 C Albers (Ned) Spyker-Ferrari @ 2 laps
ret V Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 53 laps completed
ret J Trulli (Ita) Toyota 43 laps competed
ret A Davidson (GB) Super Aguri-Honda 35 laps completed
ret S Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 29 laps completed
ret R Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 22 laps completed
ret A Sutil (Ger) Spyker-Ferrari 16 laps completed
ret M Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 8 laps completed

Here are comments by Kimi Raikkonen after winning the formula one British Grand Prix 2007

“We had a good car all weekend,” said Kimi Raikkonen. “At the beginning, I tried to save some fuel and look after car and tyres.

“Once we knew we had enough fuel I was able to close on Lewis and try to overtake him. But we knew he was coming in so didn’t take too much of a risk.

“It was a very nice feeling to win the race. We’ve been close here a few times but something has happened and we haven’t been able to win. Now, finally, we have done it and it’s one of the nicest races and feelings.

“Hopefully, the formula one championship is not over. It’s still going to be a long season.

But more good news for rookie boy Lewis Hamilton, he topped the timesheets in Friday’s first practice session raising hopes that a Briton will win the British Grand Prix after 7 years (thats a long time) , we were counting on you Jenson .

The Ferrari team’s Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were second and third respectively with McLaren’s Fernando Alonso snatching fourth spot.
Anyway , lets see how the weekend unfolds futher.

For McLaren Merchandise :