Codemasters, the publisher responsible for the racing titles DiRT and the upcoming GRiD, announced today that it has signed a new licensing deal with Formula One Administration Limited, which will see the company lead the design and development of official FIA Formula One World Championship games to its growing stable of race games for console, handheld, and PC gaming formats.

"Formula One is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the Formula One audience and connecting them globally," said Codemasters CEO, Rod Cousens.

According to Codemasters, the FIA Formula One World Championship games will be developed using an enhanced version of the EGO Game Technology Engine, Codemasters proprietary cross-platform middleware technology. As per the new deal, Codemasters' Formula One games will also have the rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula One teams, cars, and driver likenesses.

Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA Formula One World Championship to launch in sometime next year.