Formula One 99

This article is about the 1999 videogame. For the motor racing season, see 1999 Formula One World Championship.
Formula One 99
Cover art featuring from left to right: Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen
Developer(s)Studio 33
Publisher(s)Psygnosis
SeriesFormula One
Platform(s)PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation
  • JP: 21 October 1999
  • EU: 29 October 1999[1]
  • NA: 16 December 1999[2]
Microsoft Windows
  • EU: 10 December 1999
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Formula One 99 is a racing video game developed by Studio 33 and published by Psygnosis for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. Sony Computer Entertainment released the game in Europe on the PlayStation. It is the sequel to the 1998 video game Formula 1 98 and was based on the 1999 Formula One World Championship.

Following the disappointment of Formula 1 98, and the subsequent split with Visual Science, Psygnosis hired Studio 33 to develop Formula One 99, after their successful development of Newman/Haas Racing the previous year. During production of the game, Sony Computer Entertainment acquired Psygnosis, making this the final Formula One game to be released by Psygnosis independently.

The game is unique in having substitute drivers appear in the game as they did in the real 1999 season (such as Mika Salo replacing Michael Schumacher for the races between Austria and Europe). A new grid editor tool was also introduced, allowing players to customise the starting grid to their own liking before a race. Despite the lack of an arcade mode that had featured in previous titles, the game was widely praised as an overwhelming improvement in comparison to the 1998 game.

  1. ^ "PlayStation plus 4 New Releases". Daily Mirror. 29 October 1999. p. 14. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Psygnosis Ships Stellar F1 99". PSX Nation. 16 December 1999. Archived from the original on 25 February 2001. Retrieved 30 November 2023.