No, you're saying that the driving is a chore. However the driving physics are quite the opposite. They are extremely simple and easy, meant to be not as important to the overall experience.
If the driving was a chore, you'd be expected to shift, clutch, steer with perfectly realistic physics, because that would require a lot to do. That would be the case if the driving was a chore.
The driving in the game is the exact opposite of a chore. You have a large amount of grip, you have gas, brake and handbrake. The driving is really easy to do well.