After 70 plus hours in this game, I can confidently admit the game is broken. I can't recommend it in its current state. The game is dazzling to look at, and the sound design is nothing short of incredible with my Soundblaster Z sound card. The feel of the tracks are authentic, making it as if I'm really there. However, the game has a fatal flaw, which results in frustration and ultimate dissatisfaction. The penalty system in the game is simply too stringent. Codemasters said the issue was fixed in F1 2013, but it makes me wonder why they don't patch/fix the issue in this game.

There is nothing more frustrating than to be trapped in a group of cars bunched in a corner, and getting a drive through penalty for "illegal blocking." Or a car driven by the AI bumping up against you, and acquiring another drive through penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior. I just spent an hour and a half in a race with 28 laps to go, and accrued two such flags in one lap. That pretty much guaranteed a last place finish. This needs to be fixed.

After 70 plus hours in this game, I can confidently admit the game is broken. I can't recommend it in its current state. The game is dazzling to look at, and the sound design is nothing short of incredible with my Soundblaster Z sound card. The feel of the tracks are authentic, making it as if I'm really there. However, the game has a fatal flaw, which results in frustration and ultimate dissatisfaction. The penalty system in the game is simply too stringent. Codemasters said the issue was fixed in F1 2013, but it makes me wonder why they don't patch/fix the issue in this game. There is nothing more frustrating than to be trapped in a group of cars bunched in a corner, and getting a drive through penalty for "illegal blocking." Or a car driven by the AI bumping up against you, and acquiring another drive through penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior. I just spent an hour and a half in a race with 28 laps to go, and accrued two such flags in one lap. That pretty much guaranteed a last place finish. This needs to be fixed.