Formula 1 is a 1996 racing video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Psygnosis for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows.

[4] If a player is to complete a season after winning every race, and leading the Constructor's Championship, a special hidden circuit is unlocked.

[4] To reduce demand on the PlayStation's processor without significantly reducing the game's visuals, the developers programmed a level of detail method so that when a car reaches a certain distance away, it switches from its normal high-detail model (composed of 440 to 450 polygons, depending on the car) to a low-detail model composed of only 90 to 100 polygons.

[5] The game's original release date was pushed back to allow the developers time to make last-minute tweaks, fix bugs, and make the complex graphical changes needed to remove cigarette and alcohol advertising, which is illegal in video games in some parts of the United States.

Psygnosis's Formula One license had expired by this time, presenting a potential obstacle to this conversion being released.

[21] The PlayStation version was reasonably well-received, with critics generally commenting that the realistic handling and real-world Formula One elements make it an ideal game for the hardcore racing fan.

Todd Mowatt wrote in Electronic Gaming Monthly that "the fluidity of the animations were not that realistic in terms of the way a real race car would handle",[13] GamePro's Air Hendrix praised the detailed cars and sense of speed but complained of break-up problems,[22] and Next Generation hailed the graphics as a major leap over the first wave of PlayStation games.

[23] Reviewing the PC version in GameSpot, Tim Soete praised the graphics and audio commentary but found the lack of depth and realism in the driving made the game become dull after a short while.