How the BWT Alpine F1 Racing Team developed their car for EA Sports F1 24

A new Formula 1 season is just around the corner and the Red Bull Racing team already seems ready to do it again (again) as their number one driver Max Verstappen continues to look untouchable.

But Formula 1 is much more than just those who stand on the podium on race day. It’s a spectacle enjoyed by the whole world, with 20 of the greatest drivers behind the wheels of some of the most technologically advanced racing vehicles of all time, with only seconds and inches separating them. And no game currently captures this better than the fantastic EA Sports F1 series.

But what goes into incorporating one of these advanced racing vehicles into a high-octane racing game like this? F1 24? To get these answers, EA Sports recently spoke with Pierre Genon, chief engineer of the BWT Alpine F1 Team, to learn more about what it takes to get a Formula 1 car right F1 24how aerodynamics are integrated into the game and the challenge of keeping up to date with the latest vehicle specifications and regulations.

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EA Sports: What is it like working with EA Sports F1 to bring your car into the virtual world?

Pierre Genon, chief engineer of the BWT Alpine F1 Team

: It’s pretty seamless from start to finish. A credit to the skills of the people who digitize the assets. We need to produce artwork to bring all the assets into reality for the team. That’s why we’re repurposing the same assets and sharing them with EA Sports so they can create digital replicas of the original.

EA Sports: What is the first track you would like to try the A524 on on EA Sports F1 24?

Pierre Genon: Drivers don’t have to worry about me taking their place! Australia has historically been the first track of the season and that has always been my nemesis. It is the route I drove on most often. Spa is probably my favorite – maybe because I know it so well.

EA Sports: Tracks like Spa, which combine high-speed straights with complex technical corners, are among the most challenging in EA Sports F1 when it comes to finding the perfect car setup. How do you deal with the same challenge and compromise in real life?

Pierre Genon: We always start with simulation, which these days is pretty good at guiding you to the fastest lap time. However, what is harder to simulate virtually is the ability to overtake or stay behind other cars. Although we develop simulation tools, we still use subjective judgment and, in particular, drivers can express their opinion on the best compromise for “racing” or chasing other cars.

EA Sports: What data is shared with EA Sports to ensure your cars are represented correctly in the game?

Pierre Genon: We are providing EA Sports with the latest Aero version for use in the game. It is highly confidential material that is entrusted to them, although the model is not always exactly the same as the one that takes to the track in the first race of the season.

EA Sports: How do you integrate aerodynamics and other technical aspects into the design and functionality of the car?

Pierre Genon: Aerodynamics is a key factor in the performance of a Formula 1 car, and the reverse is also the case. We need to integrate “inconvenient” mechanical components into the design of the car without moving too far away from the ideal aerodynamic concepts.

EA Sports: How much collaboration was there in the development process with the team’s drivers and mechanics?

Pierre Genon: We have various mechanisms in place to ensure that mechanics’ feedback is taken into account when designing future cars. Obviously within reason, because it is more important to have a faster car than one that is easy to maintain. The drivers work together in the development process primarily by giving feedback on how the car behaves from their perspective and which driving characteristics prevent them from pushing harder. Quality driver feedback is preferred over technical suggestions that are best left to engineers.

EA Sports: How do you adapt to technical changes due to changing vehicle specifications or regulations?

Pierre Genon: With uniform regulations, there is a relatively slow pace of development of engineering concepts, but rather a constant process of refinement. Major regulatory changes, say in 2022 or soon in 2026, have far greater impact and the first big challenge is usually understanding which aspect of the car’s performance will be relatively more or less important so we can use our resources into the future can stick in the right areas.

EA Sports: What part of the development process do you enjoy most and why?

Pierre Genon: The above: getting to know new technical regulations and the associated challenges.

EA Sports: How does it feel knowing the car you’ve been working on is in it? EA Sports F1?

Pierre Genon It makes me very proud on behalf of my team.

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Many thanks to Pierre Genon for taking the time to speak to EA Sports. Now we are very excited to experience what awaits us EA Sports F1 24the official game of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. With the opportunity to showcase your champion in search of a brilliant F1 career and try out the latest handling and physics powered by EA Sports Dynamic Handling Formula 1 racing fans are in for a real treat when it launches for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on May 31, 2024.

F1 24 is currently available for pre-order in the Xbox Store in two versions: Standard edition And Champions Edition. When you order F1 24 Champions Edition Until April 24, 2024, you can be one of the first to try out the Alpine and Extra 2024 liveries and have immediate access to the Alpine and other F1 esports liveries in the F1 23 Time Trial. You can also get Alpine and other F1 esports liveries F1 24

when the game comes out.

More information about EA Sports F1 24, Be sure to visit the official website.