Bahrain’s Formula One circuit will be one of the main tracks featured in the latest F1 video game.

Codemasters, the authorised game developer for the Formula One Grand Prix, has selected Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) to be its test track in the F1 2014, which will be released on October 17, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Bahrain's course will be a hot lap, meaning race cars will be driven around the track without actually competing for a position.

Even though it will not be competitively oriented, many gamers will record lap times to measure improvements and differences in the drive following modifications.

'We thought we'd start with Bahrain and give you guys a look at the track under the lights for the first time in-game,' said a Codemasters representative yesterday (August 12).

'The hot lap delivers multiple replay angles so you can really tune in and hear our audio design at work.'

Codemasters has released a preview of the motorsport game and a gameplay video of the hot lap in Bahrain, which features details of the course and a transition of the surroundings from day to night, which is a first for the F1 game. The track is also shown in 3D with realistic looking features and audio.

A BIC spokesman told the GDN they were delighted the game displayed the 'brilliance' of the circuit.

'We are delighted to see Bahrain International Circuit featured in such a popular video game franchise.

The preview provided online is spectacular and really shows the brilliance of BIC under floodlights,' he said.

F1 2014 will be out on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, and will arrive on new generation machines, namely PS4 and Xbox One, by next year.

The company is promising 'the most accessible Formula 1 video game yet' by including a driver evaluation system that makes adjustments to the game based on skill level.

There are also shorter career modes and different settings that will allow non-F1 gamers to get into the action.

However, a company spokesman said this year's game posed a new challenge for developers as they had to redesign the whole system to accommodate the newly introduced turbocharged cars.

'The introduction of turbochargers to the cars this year has increased both overtaking opportunities and the demands placed on drivers, as huge amounts of torque are unleashed under acceleration from these entirely new power units,' he said. - TradeArabia News Service