The real difference, then, is the ability to fight for victory with a hotter head. Yet obviously there are other more tangible differences. The game has reached the 2004 season, which at least allows for the inclusion of the stunning Maserati MC12 - good enough here to make you realise why the FIA has decided to hobble it - though not the beautiful, and rather effective, Aston Martins.

The 2003 cars and circuits return as unlockables, and while two or three-year-old content may not sound hugely exciting, arguably it matters less here than in most cases. Why? Simply because the real series will be familiar to just a handful of cable-viewing diehards in the first place.

Above: Up to 28 people can race online. Staying in one piece is difficult in the pack

While the expected array of stability, traction and anti-lock aids feature to help beginners, a more active role is played by the new driving school. This covers everything from the basics to full laps of each track, breaking things down into sections in between.

With a visible race line (colour coded to indicate brake and throttle pressures) and a ghost car to chase, the driving school tests are both illuminating and addictively challenging.