This definitely boosted my benchmark scores and the performance of this title, enough to let me have a better quality race, from a graphics perspective. The fact that I had to upgrade to get it should tell you that the performance improvements were not enough in and of themselves to make me do cartwheels over the title. The Formula One cars and circuits are all faithfully re-created, with the most notable exception being the absence of tobacco advertising. They have high polygon counts and they look quite smooth. They also sport some environment mapping, so the light moves along the surface of the car.
Mirrors are also available that are fully detailed, and the level of detail is adjustable.
An undocumented feature is that the 'R' key will disable the mirrors, and this helps preserve a high frame rate at the start of the race when 21 cars are bunched up around you. Rather than having a nice high view of the road, the wheels actually interfere with your view. Unlike a few other F1 titles, there is no head-panning feature yet. This was badly needed, and one of the reasons why I deducted points in the first review. I complained about it then, but EA decided to ignore this complaint and keep us driving with our helmets anchored straight ahead.