There are tons of games about car races and specifically about Formula 1 races, and still more are being created. However, at present time there are only few good simulation games. I surely recommend among them only the following three:

· SPEED CIRCUIT (SC) (Avalon Hill)
· FORMULE DE’ (FD) (Ludodelire/Eurogames)
· PIT STOP (PS) (Editrice Giochi)

Let’s try to compare these games, as if we were watching a Formula 1 race live, to estimate the simulation detail of each one. I must state in advance that regarding PIT STOP, I considered the Advanced Rules only (downloadable from the Editrice Giochi website), and speaking of FORMULA DE' I refer to the Tournament Rules (developed by various experts and tested by several Clubs: ask me if you wish to know more about them).

January: New World Championship Presentation

There are 6 official drivers in SC (but if you find some extra models you can play up to 20 players: however, the maximum advisable number of players is 10 to 12), with 3 Grand Prix on a single board: Monaco-Monza-Watkings Glenn (13 other “official” circuits were available as accessories). The graphic design is somewhat austere, even if the three basic tracks, intersecting one with another, are very pleasant to see: luckily, additional tracks are very clean and playable. Cars move on 2-3 lanes using a single whole square (that is, each square can hold one car at a time).


In FD we have 10 base drivers, divided in five teams of different colors (here, too, there isn’t really a fixed maximum number and the producer already provides wonderful unpainted mini-cars in lead: anyway, I strongly advise against playing with more than 12 players if you don’t want to overly extend each race playing time), and two basic tracks: Monaco and Zandvoort, with the added possibility to buy separately other 20 circuits (each of them made of 2 tracks printed one on the back of the other). Excellent graphic, remarkably big tracks, 3 or more lanes with the same single whole square limit.


In PS too there are only 6 drivers, and you can raise this number only by changing the speed and consumption bookkeeping system (in fact, the board contains special pre-punched zones: but you can get round of this by using paper sheets to keep track of gear and penalties). On the other hand, you can make countless tracks because circuits feature “modular” joints (as in electric racing tracks, with straight parts of various length, bends of different radius, chicanes, etc.): the rules state how to build up to 8 Grand Prix, but with little effort all Championship tracks are reproducible. Tracks are smaller than other games and are divided up into “sections” which may hold up to three cars each.

Racing car construction

	Cars in SC must be prepared by spending 5 Preparation Points (PP) in the following categories: Starting Burst, Acceleration, Deceleration, Max Speed and Consumption. Assigned points directly increase each car basic performances as well as its ability to sustain penalties.
	In FD, too, you will need to prepare cars for the Championship assigning 20 Car Points (CP) among the following categories: Driver, Tyres, Chassis, Suspensions, Qualify, Mechanics. Assigned points increase the car resistance (the car can suffer more penalties without losing performance) or decrease penalties during the Pit Stop.
	In PS there is no specific car preparation.

June: Montecarlo – Monaco Grand Prix

Qualify

	There are no qualify sessions in SC, but it is nonetheless advisable to determine the starting grid with a “flying” round, counting how many turns (and how many penalties) it needs to complete the track.
	In FD you have instead two choices: either you complete a flying round (taking into account turns and penalties) or you use the special 20 sided dice, with various modifiers depending on the assigned CP, following the final results.
	The starting grid in PS is randomly chosen: here, too, I suggest nevertheless a flying trial round, as for other games.

Of course, qualify sessions take time before the real race, but I suggest using them anyway, especially when you are competing for a whole World Championship.

The Grand Prix

Engines roar, green semaphore, all drivers engage the first gear and... start!

	Cars in SC are easily distinguished because their starting speed is linked to their Starting Burst and Acceleration (assigned via PP), which correspond to a certain amount of squares.
	In FD, on the other hand, you throw a special First Gear die and cars move by 1 or 2 squares, except when you use the scorching acceleration feature (which costs you 1 engine point).
	In PS you throw a special die which can make you move ahead of 1 or 2 squares, even if the price for obtaining higher speeds is often extra fuel consumption.

Cars queue crossing the ‘city’ part of the track...

	In SC you use a special notepad to keep scoring: here players, at the beginning of the turn, write simultaneously and secretly the Speed of their cars (taking into account the maximum allowed accelerations/decelerations, basing on PP spent at the start). At each multiple of 20 mph the car advances of one square on the track.
	In FD drivers have at their disposal special scorekeeping sheets, on which they have to write (simultaneously and secretly) the gear their car will use for that turn. Each gear is associated to a special die with a set of numbers (e.g. a three-sided die [sic, translator’s note] for the first gear, six-sided die for the second gear, 30-sided dice for the fifth gear, etc.): each point on the die corresponds to the forward movement of a square on the track.
	Finally, in PS each driver has a game board where he will insert the gear of his car for the next turn: this is done immediately after moving his own car and before seeing what other players manage to do on the track. In his turn, each driver throws a number of dice equal to the current gear, moving by 1 or 2 squares per die, depending on the side shown by each die.

The cars now take the Tobacconist Bend...

	In SC the “safety” speeds are printed directly on each square of the bend, so you have to match accordingly your speed. It is even possible to follow special routes which allows for higher speed (without damage); or, you can willingly enter with higher speed by paying some point of consumption or taking some risks: in this case, you have to throw a normal six-sided die and consult a table to see if the car passes unharmed, if it skids right round (restarting from zero next turn) or even if it crashes and thus is out of the race. Naturally, if you go very fast it is more likely that you will incur in a penalty or a risk.
	In FD all bends are delimited with red and white curb and they all have a number, printed inside a yellow little flag, to state how many turns cars must stay inside the bend itself. If the driver cannot or does not want to conform to this limit, he suffers a penalty (tire consumption) or he skids right round (if the tires are completely used up) or, if he was going really too fast, he goes off road.
	In PS each bend is well delimited with the usual curbs and has a maximum speed to observe: each time a car enters a bend square with a higher speed, it pays 1 Tire point for each 50 km/h of exceeding speed. If it has no more Tire points, a crash happens!

The Grand Prix has ended

While drivers celebrate on the podium and kiss their trophies, we can start commenting the race...

	Undoubtedly SC is the most complete simulation, even if it allows for some “dirty” trick (surely not permitted in real races) like, for example, blocking the street with three flanking cars and thus forcing who is arriving from behind to skid right round, restarting from zero speed. However, notwithstanding his years (SC was published in 1977), this game is the most similar to reality: in addition, the time needed for a race is adequate (under 2 hours with 10 players), and all drivers can compete for the victory till the last round... provided they are all of the same experience level. In fact, novice drivers who don’t know well the game can hardly hope of winning the game, if they face expert opponents, if they didn’t play several races yet.
	In FD, on the contrary, final victory is at everyone’s reach (even if expert drivers are similarly privileged), because the luck factor comes in. As we said above, each gear corresponds to a special die and likewise to a set of different speeds (squares): entering the bend with the exactly right speed may often give you a turn advantage against other opponents –– and in any case, an unlucky result is always possible! The medium length of a game with 10 drivers can reach 3 hours.
	In PS the luck factor is even higher, although the Advanced Rules (downloadable from the Editrice Giochi website) have substantially modified this, while reducing the time needed for a race (which may last for about 1 hour and a half, with 6 drivers).

All three games have obviously a set of additional rules which enrich the race and make it more realistic (wakes, pit stops, damaged vehicles and so on). We didn’t talk about them for simplicity’s sake, but they surely add to the fun.
Enough for unbiased comments. Personally, the game I prefer is FD, not only because tracks are amazingly printed on giant-sized boards which make you feel really right into the race, but also because everyone can sit around the table for the first time, learn the rules in 10-15 minutes and play immediately in a competitive manner (there's a MINI FORMULA DE' too - see picture).
On the other hand, if you are lucky enough to gather around the table a bunch of cunning old devils, then SC will give everyone bigger satisfactions because skill matters and only who has been able to balance well the characteristics of his car can really compete for the final victory.
To introduce racing games to newbie (or to people who don’t like examining too many details), the most suited game is maybe PS: it allows for at least a couple of races in the same afternoon. Building the track is by itself a game built into the game; moreover, rules are adequately simple (5-10 minutes of explanations) and races are quite short.

If you are interested in a whole World Championship, to be disputed in more than one evening, I would suggest FD again: not only because all Grand Prix tracks are available, but also because the game mechanics allow more easily to make up for some bad initial result.