F1 2011

In the race, DRS is limited to when you're under a second behind a competitor, and even then it can only be activated in special zones. Outside of race conditions, however, it's a free-for-all, and nailing a hot lap either in qualifying or in one of the game's time trials is as much about knowing when it's safe to open up the rear wing.

Get it wrong and it can be disastrous. It's here that Blanchimont - a beast at the best of times in F1 2011 - can become a complete disaster zone. When using DRS, the rear wing automatically snaps shut upon pressing the brakes, but leave it open when entering a high downforce corner such as Blanchimont or Eau Rouge and you'll swap ends at gut-churning speed.

Get it right, though, and it can be worth a good second on a hot lap. Going fast in F1 2011 is about more than perfectly met braking points and bulls-eyed apexes - it's also about micro-managing the car and its systems, a strange and initially disconcerting experience but certainly a novel one.

There's much more that's new in F1 2011, though some of the more enticing aspects - the all-important career mode, for example - remain under wraps while others prove shy to show themselves. The Safety Car, implemented for the first time after extended pleading from the game's fans, was a no-show in the many races I ran through in the pre-release build.

It's pleasing in itself that its presence will be a rare occurrence, although it'll be interesting to see how it plays into the race - car control will remain with the player when it's out, and it'll only ever stay out on the track for two laps at the most, keeping the inevitable boredom of driving half throttle at bay.

Also failing to make an appearance were the all-new mechanical failures, but again that's good news; it'd be worrying if the engines ate themselves on a regular basis, and it seems that Codemasters has displayed some advisable reserve in this regard.

The racing itself is noticeably improved. There are countless serious-minded driving games that get the driving part down pat, though you can count on one finger the number of them that actually pay any attention to the art of racing (and if you're wondering what game that is, in my eye it's the sadly overlooked and quite brilliant Race Pro).

F1 2011 looks set to join that modest club, and it's wheel to wheel action is as assured as any other area in the game. Cars maintain a steady pace and keep a healthy gap when attempting an overtake, and they're pleasingly mindful of your own advances when trying to pass. Whittling down a three-second gap becomes a tangible exercise (helped by visual feedback from a vastly improved UI), and it's truer to the action on a Sunday than any console game's ever been before.

The same can be said of much of F1 2011's improvements, which feed off and feed into the love of the sport held by so many. Whether Codemasters has done enough in 12 short months to justify a repeat purchase remains to be seen, but other things are more certain. F1 2011's one step closer to authenticity, and it's one step closer to joining the racing genre's top tier.