F1 Race Stars isn’t exactly what springs to mind when you think “Codemasters”, but they’ve released it nevertheless — a Mario Kart-esque racer that mixes the power-ups of the karting title with the handling of an F1 game. It works about as well as it sounds — as Alex Walker explains.

Those of you eagerly awaiting news of the next Codemasters game will probably be surprised to hear that it is, in fact, a cartoony kart racer named F1 Race Stars. Featuring the cartoonish likenesses of real-life Formula One drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, the game will feature twisting tracks, jaunty music, and over-the-top visuals. It’s certainly an interesting change of direction for the company but hey, whatever gets more people into the racing game scene.