As sure as a billion-dollar sport begins a new season every year, so must a new official licensed video game of that sport be released annually. No surprise, then, that Codemasters has formally announced F1 2012 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation, but now it's official.

The big new feature Codies is touting this year is a 'Young Driver Test' mode, teaching Formula 1 racing with a series of tutorials, working towards driving for a F1 racing team. Codemasters also promises "a host of new features, wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements and extensive competitive and co-operative multiplayer components" in the announcement.

Developed by the F1 team at Codemasters Birmingham, F1 2012's due to launch in September.

Here's a little accompanying trailer Codies whipped up, with race drivers telling the makers of the sports' official game about how their licensed products compare to actual Formula 1 racing:

[Story image from F1 2011, as Codemasters is keeping F1 2012 under wraps for now.]