F1 2012 adds a young driver mode to learn the basics and memorable Champions Mode. The best 2012 season with Vettel and Alonso, perfect simulation-accessibility balance. An excellent vintage of the series.
Your verdict
Category
Racing2 players3+
Split screen
Description
Third installment of Codemasters' official F1 franchise recreating the 2012 season with its expanded grid and new circuits. Published by Codemasters, released in Europe in September 2012. Licensed twenty teams and twenty-four drivers, new Champion Mode to recreate historic victories, advanced weather, and steering wheel support. European version.
F1 2012 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
A widened grid, new circuits and a challenge mode that isolates a Grand Prix's standout moments all give fresh excuses to get back on track. Steering a long-haul career, taming shifting weather and clawing back every tenth in qualifying demands patience and repetition. That simulation rigor, rewarding once progress is felt, keeps F1 fans loyal.
F1 2012, Codemasters' official entry that adds learning and challenge modes while refining the simulation, valued for its renewed accessibility. Still common, its collector interest is modest; the European and Asian run remains rarer. A supporting piece for an official racing set of the generation, whose desirability rests on the series' continuity rather than established value.
Better with friends
A single-seater simulation where the slightest braking error costs you dearly, lending the duels a delicious demand and tension. The competition rewards consistency and race management over aggression, in a very pure stopwatch rivalry. Local split-screen pits two drivers wheel to wheel, while the era's online relies on servers whose activity is no longer guaranteed.
Is F1 2012 still worth playing in 2026?
F1 2012 further refines Codemasters' recipe, adding a Young Driver mode that teaches the fundamentals with care and a Champions mode pitting the player against the grid's best. The balance between simulation and accessibility here reaches a particularly successful point, appealing to beginner and veteran alike. The recreation of the season fought between Vettel and Alonso and the driving quality make it an excellent vintage. Like its peers, it has aged against F1 2013 and its online has gone dark. But for anyone who loves F1 and this precise vintage, the title stays very enjoyable solo.
