Silverstone F1 Weekend - how to Sim Race there, and for how much?
- Chris SIRA
- Jul 5
- 5 min read
With the F1 race this weekend at the British Grand Prix at the legendary Silverstone circuit, you (and I) maybe surprised which Sim / Racing titles can best match the the experience of racing there.
This article looks at available games offering the most recent 2010 Silverstone 'Arena' layout, with the most recent F1 / Formula-style cars on the most recent platforms.
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PC
Assetto Corsa
Steam - Base Game - A$7.23
Steam - Ferrari SF-15T (2015) in Red Pack - A$2.98
or
Overtake.GG (formerly Race Department) - RTT Formula 2024 SF-24 1.5 - FREE
or
VRC - Formula Alpha 2024 - USD$5.79 minimum
These are just some examples of the huge range of free and paid mods available for Assetto Corsa to explore
VR? Yes
Install Crew Chief for free to add a Race Engineer and up the realism
Price range = USD$ 6.03-10.52 / A$9.21 - A$16.06 / € 5.12-8.93 / £ 4.42-7.70
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PC
Automobilista 2
Steam - Automobilista 2 - A$5.69 (Sale on Steam at time of publishing)
Latest Car : Reiza Ultimate Gen 2 (included free with title)
Steam - Automobilista 2 Silverstone Pack - A$7.25
or go all-in with the Automobilista 2 2020-2022 Season Pass at A$69.97 which includes the latest Silverstone layout
VR? Yes
Install Crew Chief for free to add a Race Engineer and up the realism
Total = A$12.94 / USD$8.49 / €7.21 / £ 4.07
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PC
iRacing
Game : Base Game - USD$5 for 1 month subscription deal currently (USD$13 per month regular price)
Track - Silverstone 2010 'Arena' Layout - $14.95
Latest Car : 2022 Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance - $12.95
VR? Yes
Install Crew Chief for free to add an alternative Race Engineer to iRacings' spotter
Total = USD$ 32.90 / A$ 50.18 / € 27.93 / £ 24.09
Plus ongoing monthly subscription if desired
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PC
F1 25
Steam - Standard Edition - A$89.95
EA Store - F1 25 Standard Edition - Full title - $109.95 'EA Play subscribers get a 10% discount on the full purchase of F1 25'
5 Hour Play Time with either EA Play $8.95 per month or Xbox Game Pass including EA Play Extension - Xbox Game Pass - PC only - A$13.5 monthly (A$1 for first 14 days) Note that for both EA Play and Xbox Game Pass you also get access to the latest Forza Motorsport and many other Racing Games
VR? Yes (PSVR2)
Price range (full title) = USD$ 58.82-72.02 / A$89.95 - A$109.95 / € 50.01-61.13 / £ 43.15-52.75
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PC
RaceRoom Racing Experience
Steam - Base Game : FREE
Steam - Silverstone 2010 'Arena' Layout - €4.98 / 499 VRP
Steam - Formula RaceRoom X-17 - €3.98
This is a fictional halo-less F1 car likely based on the 2017 F1 cars (F1 halos were fully introduced in 2018)
VR? Yes
Total = USD$ 9.38 / A$ 14.30 / € 4.43 / £ 3.82
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PC
Forza Motorsport
Xbox Game Pass - Forza Motorsport - Standard Edition - A$13.5 monthly (A$1 for first 14 days)
Steam - Forza Motorsport - Standard Edition - A$59.97
Total = USD$ 8.84-39.27 / A$ 13.50-59.97 / € 7.51-33.34 / £ 6.48-28.76
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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PlayStation 5 / 5 Pro
F1 25
PlayStation Store - F1 25 Standard Edition - PlayStation 5 / PlayStation 5 Pro - $109.95
Free 5 hour game trial requires subsription to EA Play $8.95 per month / $59.95 yearly
Price range* = USD$ 5.86-72.02 / A$ 8.95-109.95 / € 4.95-61.13 / £4.29-52.75
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
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Xbox Series X/S
Forza Motorsport
Xbox Game Pass - PC + Console (required if you own an Xbox Console) - A$22.95 per month
Xbox Game Pass - PC only - A$13.5 monthly (A$1 for first 14 days)
Forza Motorsport - Full Game - Standard Edition - A$119.95 - EB Games
Forza Motorsport - Full Game - Standard Edition - A$109 - JB Hi-Fi
Cost range = USD$ 15.03-78.57 / A$22.95 - A$119.95 / € 12.76-66.69 / £ 11.01-57.54
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
SIRA suggests trying the different steering modes in FM, such as Normal or Simulation to get the best experience
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Xbox Series X/S
F1 25
Xbox Store - F1 25 Standard Edition - $109.95
Free 5 hour game trial requires 1 month subsription to EA Play $8.95 per month / $59.95 yearly
Amazon AU - F1 25 Standard Edition- $84.74
Cost range = USD$ 55.50-72.02 / A$84.74 - A$109.95 / € 47.12-61.13 / £ 40.65-52.75
Price ranges are for guidance only, and based on one currency then converted. Regional costs may vary.
Summary
Across all 3 platforms, the official F1 25 title will be the one that provides the most visceral overall racing experience, from the Engineer radio to the officially-licensed Cars and liveries and Story Modes. However, it's still at premium prices unless you look to its previous titles ; F1 24, F1 23 etc...
If you're looking for a more accurate Sim Racing experience on a budget, Assetto Corsa is hard to beat, though with a little effort to find the right mods (PC only). Add on Crew Chief (free) for a Race Engineer ; though AC's AI is not highly regarded. AC is also available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One but will required the additional DLC Season Pass to include the latest relevant F1 car ; the 2015 Ferrari SF-15T so isn't a strong reccomendation here.
RaceRoom Racing Experience offers an alternative to the above, but with a fictional 2017-spec ('halo-less') car.
Automobilista 2 probably offers the best 'out of the box' experience, with respectable AI, some of the best PC Sim Racing graphics+performance. You'll need the additional Silverstone Pack DLC - unless you go for the Season Pass. To further up the realism, there are unoffical 3rd party mods to reskin the Reiza Ultimate Gen 2 cars and make that grid look as real as possible!
Good luck!
SIRA
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