F1 24 follows the series template of simulating a full race weekend, from free practice through to the Grand Prix, with pit stops, safety cars, and super license dynamics. The headline addition is a revamped career mode in which players assume the role of real Formula One drivers and build reputation across a season, rather than creating a custom driver. The roster extends beyond the twenty active F1 drivers to include Formula 2 and retired drivers.
Mid-race objectives issued by team engineers and sponsors are a new mechanic, rewarding their completion with additional experience and bonuses; these drew mixed critical responses. "F1 World," introduced in F1 23, was further expanded, and a new "Fanzone" mode was added, allowing players to direct fan points toward specific teams and drivers in competition with other player fanzones. Real F1 driver voiceovers were also incorporated for the first time. The Braking Point story mode, featured in F1 2021 and F1 23, was not continued in F1 24. Several drivers who substituted for injured or departing regulars during the 2024 season — including Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, and Jack Doohan — do not appear in the game.
An announcement trailer was published on 27 February 2024 on EA Sports' F1 YouTube channel. The game was built on Codemasters' Ego Engine, the same platform as its predecessor. Director Lee Mather stated that development focus was directed at the career mode and handling model, with limited changes to AI behaviour and graphics. The soundtrack was composed by Ian Livingstone and Lapalux.
The standard edition cover features Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris — the same trio as F1 23 — alongside their respective cars: the Mercedes W15, Ferrari SF-24, and McLaren MCL38 on a street circuit backdrop. It is the first title since F1 2018 to depict both drivers and cars on the cover. The Champions Edition cover shows Max Verstappen celebrating his grand chelem at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix.
F1 24 received "mixed or average" reviews on Metacritic with a score of 72 out of 100, and a score of 60% on OpenCritic. In Japan, Famitsu awarded the game 32 out of 40 across four reviewers. Critics praised the new career mode and further improvements to F1 World, though mid-race objectives were widely criticised as poorly implemented. The handling model drew divided opinions: IGN's Luke Reilly found cars "surprisingly simple to tame and get great drive out of corners," while Steve Boxer of The Guardian noted that players "now must spend as much time looking after tyres as the real drivers do."