If like me, you stopped playing GTA V years ago, you might be surprised to learn that Rockstar has continued to regularly add content to the online mode since the game launched in 2013.
The latest sees F1-inspired cars appear on the streets of San Andreas, but they haven’t gone with modern cars and instead looked back a few decades. The first of the two new models is the Progen PR4, a clear nod to the 1989 McLaren MP4/5.
The other is called the Ocelot R88. More inspired by the turbo models of the mid-1980, this seems to be a cross between the 1986 Lotus 98T and the 1982 Lotus 91.
There’s more to the update than just a couple of fake F1 cars, though. Rockstar has also added a new mode to race them in – the open-wheel races. Complete with seven street circuit layouts around the various locations of San Andreas, the new cars are also highly susceptible to damage – lose a front wing and you’ll have reduced downforce and a slower car.
Thankfully, the races also have pit stops to repair damage… and also change tyre compounds, just like in actual F1.
You can also customise liveries, wings, engines, and brakes in order to try and get a performance edge over your rivals – although because this is GTA, the easiest way to gain an advantage would probably be to try and avoid crashing into everyone and everything.
It’s cool to see that Rockstar has actually made an effort to make its open-wheel races unique. But unless you’re an avid GTA Online player, it’s probably not going to be enough to tempt us away from actual, official F1 games and other sims. Especially since the average F1 2019 public lobby can often do a decent job of aping the GTA-style carnage…
