For the first time since way back in 2009, there is no new Codemasters Formula 1 game this year. However, the current season is still represented via the 2026 Season Pack.
Released earlier this month, the paid DLC adds this year’s teams, drivers and regulation changes to F1 25 in favour of a standalone sequel before the series returns with a “reimagined” game next year.
“The sport is always evolving. It’s always reaching new audiences, and we continue to do the same with our franchise,” Senior Game Designer Steven Embling explained to Traxion on why this year was the right time to take a temporary break from annual sequels.
“We looked at the priorities for this particular year and thought ‘where could we add the most amount of value?’”
Developing F1’s huge regulation change
One “key aspect” that led to this decision, according to Embling, was the new regulation changes. This year’s season introduced a significant rule shakeup, with cars that are smaller, lighter and have an almost 50:50 split between combustion and electric power.
Implementing these major changes into the F1 game was not an easy endeavour. However, Embling saw this challenge as an “exciting opportunity.”
“It’s a huge regulation update – probably the biggest one we’ve seen since 2014,” he said. “There have been some big ones in 2017 and 2022. But I think these are probably the most significant ones.”
Replacing DRS, the new cars boast new Active Aero systems that adjust the front and rear wing. This can be activated in designated zones to increase the top speed on straights or optimise the downforce on corners.
“We needed to make sure the front and rear wings were both moving visually and had the correct physics effect,” said Embling. “There are more zones for straight mode than what we had to deal with for DRS.
“Some circuits have as many as four of those straight mode zones, so we had to make sure they were all placed correctly for every circuit.
Out on the track, these changes add a new strategic element for when to deploy the speed boost or harvest energy, resulting in “a new kind of racing” with more frequent overtakes.
While Active Aero can be manually, it can also be deployed automatically thanks to an assist. “Some people obviously love the authenticity of getting in there and changing it every single time, but that experience isn’t for everyone,” said Embling.
Overtake Mode is another new ruleset introduced this season. When activated, it provides a temporary speed boost when within one second of the car in front. Implementing this required “a lot of intricacies behind the scenes.”
“It comes with a slightly increased harvesting limit,” said Embling. “It has an adjusted deployment curve, which increases the power at high speeds relative to not having Overtake Mode quite a bit.”
Creating the Madring circuit ahead of its real-world debut
This year’s season also sees Madrid’s new Madring circuit join the F1 calendar. Featuring the longest banked corner of any F1 circuit, the venue is set to host the real-life Spanish Grand Prix in September, but the 2026 Season Pack enables players to take a virtual tour of the track before its real-world debut.
What made creating this track particularly challenging, however, is it’s still under development in real life. This meant artists had to rely on early CAD data and images when mapping the layout and placing buildings.
“This was a very close collaboration with our partners,” Senior Game Designer Yashar Kiani explained. “We don’t have the LIDAR data as we haven’t seen all the details. So this is completely based on the blueprints.
“The artists were working closely with every stakeholder and partner to get it as close as possible to create the most authentic F1 experience. We’re excited to get that in, so players can experience the track even before the drivers.
Only the current 2026 cars can be raced around Madring, however. Kiani reveals that there is a practical reason for this restriction.
“We wanted to keep it as authentic as possible,” he said. “We didn’t want to do the track injustice and create imaginary DRS zones that do not exist and teams that wouldn’t be on the actual season.”
Naturally, the driver team and roster are updated to represent the current lineup, with Audi replacing Sauber and Cadillac joining as an eleventh team. But it’s the gameplay changes introduced with the rule changes that elevate the 2026 Season Pack for F1 fans.
“When you take all these things, we realised that we could deliver that for a premium season upgrade pack,” said Embling.
“That approach allows us to deliver on all those aspects which are so important to our players, and continue to give some long-term support for [F1] 25 and also plan for that exciting future.”
Discussion