logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
39m 59s

How F1 video games are so realistic - wi...

FORMULA 1
About this episode
Cars that feel F1-fast. Racetracks that look real. Drivers in detail. F124 by EA SPORTS, the latest official Formula 1 game, is out now and it's more lifelike than ever. How do game designers bring the world of F1 to life on your console? Katie and Christian speak to two of F124's creators to find out:

  • Lee Mather - Senior Creative Designer
  • Casey Ringley - Senior Game Designer + Vehicle Handling Lead
Lee explains how photos and radar are used to make sure racetracks look like the real thing. Casey reveals how the brand new Dynamic Handling on F124 and input from Max Verstappen makes the cars better than ever to drive. Plus, Christian tries to put himself in the game...

EA SPORTS F124 is out now

Send us your F1 question and we'll find the expert to answer it
Write an email or record a voice note and send it to F1Explains@F1.com

Learn more about F1 with our previous episodes:
More Official F1 Podcasts
  • For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest stars, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid 
  • For race previews and reviews from inside the F1 paddock, listen to F1 Nation
Played the game? Now see F1 for real
Tickets for races in Texas, Las Vegas, across Europe and around the world are available now. Go to tickets.formula1.com
Up next
Yesterday
Marshals: The ‘first line of safety for F1 drivers’
Without marshals, we wouldn't be able to go racing. In their bright orange jumpsuits, they're hard to miss. Hundreds of them are dotted around the track to ensure the safety of all the drivers competing in every series during a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. So how do they keep dr ... Show More
30m 57s
Oct 2
The Medical Car: 'the world's fastest ambulance'
When F1 drivers crash, the FIA Medical Car rushes to the scene. It's a high-performance machine with a racing driver at the wheel and a doctor in the passenger seat. The Medical Car crew, Dr Ian Roberts and driver Bruno Correia, answer your questions about their vital jobs. They ... Show More
35m 49s
Sep 25
Alex Albon explains night races, car numbers + helmet designs
How different is driving at night compared to racing during the day? What impact does being a celebrity have on an F1 drivers’ life? How are car numbers decided? And what’s the process behind designing a special helmet? Williams’ Alex Albon joins Christian Hewgill in the Formula ... Show More
20m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
REVISITED: Martin Brundle on the best F1 cars of each decade
Season 5 of F1: Beyond The Grid starts with a brand-new episode on Wednesday 16th March. With just days to go before we see the new 2022 cars go wheel to wheel, we revisit an episode from 2020 when Martin Brundle joined Tom to discuss the best F1 cars he’s ever driven. The Briton ... Show More
1h 6m
May 2022
Alexander Rossi: twists, turns and tragedy on the road to F1
Growing up in Northern California, a young Alexander Rossi dreamed of racing in Formula 1. His route was not an easy one. Along the way he experienced false starts, unfulfilled promises, behind the scenes power moves and the tragic loss of his friend and teammate Jules Bianchi. A ... Show More
53m 36s
May 2023
‘F1 is a mental game’ – this week on BTG
Who’s Tom’s F1 Beyond The Grid guest this week? Hit play to find out, then share using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Listen to the latest F1 Nation for reaction and analysis after the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix from former F1 stars Pedro de la Rosa and Alex Wurz. Plus, to hear why street circuit ... Show More
1m 48s
Jun 2021
NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon on his famous F1 test and love of Grand Prix racing
Our guest this week is a driver who never actually raced in F1 – but he did test an F1 car and very nearly raced one: Jeff Gordon. The Californian is a four-time NASCAR champion and global motorsport icon, who in 2003 enjoyed a life-changing F1 test with Williams. He tells us all ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2023
Stefano Domenicali: driving F1 forward
What does the future hold for Formula 1? New races? New teams? New rules? F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali answers all these questions and many more in an intriguing chat with Tom Clarkson.  Domenicali knows what success tastes like. He won multiple World Championships as ... Show More
55m 29s
Mar 2022
BONUS: F1 Nation's Barcelona Breakdown
F1 is back and so is F1 Nation! Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill and Natalie Pinkham chat about the news, views and pre-season clues from three days of running in Barcelona. Which teams have made strong starts, and which still have work to do? Plus, rumours of ‘brand new cars’ being prep ... Show More
50m 14s
Apr 2022
Kevin Magnussen: a no-fear F1 comeback
A year out of F1 has changed Kevin Magnussen’s world. He’s now a father, he’s moved back to his native Denmark with his family and he’s tasted US sportscars and the Le Mans 24 hours. When the chance to return to F1 with Haas suddenly came along, KMag said yes immediately. No fear ... Show More
48m 20s
Mar 2022
Susie Wolff: racer, role model, risk-taker
From the age of 8, Susie Wolff dreamed of making it in motorsport. Formula 1 was her goal. In 2014 she got her chance – driving for Williams in Free Practice at the British Grand Prix, becoming the first woman to drive in an official F1 session for more than two decades. She tell ... Show More
57m 36s
Apr 2022
Adrian Newey on F1's best car – Imola review ft. Esteban Ocon + Christian Horner
Which team now has the fastest car in F1: Red Bull or Ferrari? Red Bull’s legendary designer Adrian Newey gives F1 Nation his take on the continuing race for upgrades, and the team’s dominant 1-2 finish in Imola. For a packed show, Tom Clarkson’s joined by 9-time Le Mans 24 Hours ... Show More
50m 2s
Sep 2023
Inside the mind of an F1 genius - this week on BTG
An all-time F1 great is Tom Clarkson's next guest on F1 Beyond The Grid. Listen here for a preview. Hear the full conversation on Wednesday 27th September. Share using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Follow the podcast to get the episode as soon as it's released. Listen to F1's other official ... Show More
1m 46s