The majority of customisation found in the single player is also available in the co-op championship. Before embarking on a 19 race season a quick chat between players will help you determine how you want to play; arcade or simulation? This gives you great freedom when playing with different players. Unfortunately, with only one co-op save, playing more than one friend at a time won’t be possible – an oversight by Codemasters.
Yet another oversight by the developers comes in the form of no matchmaking in co-op. To start a game you will have to have someone on your friends list ready to play. This means organising a race will often take place online or via voice chat before you load up the game – something Co-Optimus is good for, but really shouldn’t be necessary in modern co-op gaming. In many ways the need to communicate well to actually start a game will determine how well you co-operate within the game.
Formula One is a team sport by name, but really it’s a sport for individual drivers. Although you play co-op with a friend within your team, you also vie for the best times and positions in the hopes of becoming the team’s number one driver. This will get you access to upgrades before the other player, furthering your advantage. This level of competition may not bother some co-op friends, who are happy to aid one another, but in some cases it may drive you apart and make for a competitive experience with little regard for actually cooperating.