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iRacing confirms Bahrain International Circuit and Circuit Paul Ricard for 2026

They will both be in iRacing Arcade, releasing in December, and then they will find their way to the main simulation.

iRacing confirms Bahrain International Circuit and Circuit Paul Ricard for 2026

Two more real-world circuits will be released for iRacing in 2026 – the Bahrain International Circuit and Circuit Paul Ricard.

The former opened in 2004, and is used by the likes of Formula 1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship – there are four main layouts accessible too, three of which have been used by F1 at some point over the past 21 years. It also has the ability to run under lights at night.

Bahrain International Circuit
Image credit: Bahrain International Circuit

The latter, meanwhile, is in the South of France and also has an extensive F1 history, although somewhat patchy by comparison and is no longer part of the calendar. It is perhaps best known as a testing venue – the 1.8 km (1.1 mile) long Mistral straight ideal for teams wanting to practice ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But, GT, sports car and touring car races happen regularly at the venue, which features painted high-grip asphalt for the run-off areas. In terms of track layouts, it has Bahrain bested, with up to six possible options.

Circuit Paul Ricard
Image Credit: Circuit Paul Ricard

No exact release date is known other than “in the new year,” according to iRacing.

Both venues were anticipated, however. The upcoming iRacing Arcade has a mix of real and fictional venues. Every actual track is also available for iRacing, apart from Bahrain and Paul Ricard – now we know this was a teaser of sorts for the main sim racing platform.

St. Petersburg set for March 2026

iRacing is “planning” a Season 2 2026, so March 2026, release for the St. Petersburg street circuit.

A staple of the IndyCar calendar, with iRacing being an official PC simulation of the series and its creation of an official video game next year, it makes sense for it to fill the blanks for the open-wheel championship.

To that point, it claims: “There are many other IndyCar-related track projects underway that include a mix of art refreshes and full rescans.”

iRacing St Petersburg track scan
iRacing St Petersburg track scan

The first of these to be confirmed is a full re-make and re-scan of Barber Motorsports Park.

IndyCar will have two all-new venues next season: Arlington, Texas, and Markham, Ontario, Canada. Neither has been confirmed for the upcoming game or iRacing yet.

Additional tracks and track updates confirmed so far include an artwork upgrade for Summit Point Motorsports Park and production of Winchester Speedway is back underway.

iRacing Barber Motorsports Park
iRacing – Barber Motorsports Park

“Our team is currently putting together plans for a four-track scan trip to revisit many road circuits in the United States that have undergone significant change or repaves,” reads a tantalising statement by Senior VP and Executive Producer, Greg Hill.

“Expect to see our team making stops throughout the Midwest and continuing westwards all the way to Monterey County in California.”

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as it happens, is in Monterey…

Season 1 of 2026 is expected to release in early December 2025, and in terms of circuits, will release Miami International Autodrome, Lucas Oil Speedway- Off Road and Adelaide Street Circuit