HOT CORNER

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What: Formula One 2001, PlayStation 2 racing simulation game.

Producer: 989 Sports, Sony Computer Entertainment.

Price: $49.99.

There are only 22 drivers in Formula One, but there are thousands of pretenders.

One of the most authentic ways to be a pretender is to play Formula One 2001, a racing simulation game developed by Sony. Its two-player mode enables users to race one another, or to race against as many as 16 drivers in a true F1 atmosphere. It is available for PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems.

All 17 current Grand Prix tracks are simulated, from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the real thing occurs Sunday, to Monte Carlo, Spa-Francorchamps or Kuala Lumpur. Players can choose which team they want to represent, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Williams-BMW or any one of the 11 licensed teams.

If you are not ready to challenge Michael Schumacher on the twists and turns of an F1 circuit, there are four levels to play--novice, amateur, semipro and professional. Many race drivers, in various circuits, practice their reflexes and techniques on such programs.

And if you remember admiring the late Ayrton Senna race on a slick course in the rain, you can do it too, wet or dry, whatever you wish. Formula One 2001 also allows players to customize their race setup by tweaking the suspension, changing tire compounds, adding more front wing or changing gear ratios.

You can’t get much more realistic than that.

For more information, visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board at https://www.esrb.org.