As a racing fan, you’re probably expecting to see another annual Formula 1 game from EA/Codemasters right about now, considering the series’ late spring/early summer release cadence.
However, for 2026, the developer has opted to release an expansion DLC for last year’s F1 25, adding all the teams, drivers and tracks of the current season alongside F1’s radically different ruleset. So that means Cadillac boosts the grid to 22 cars (24 if you create your own outfit in My Team), the Madring joins the circuit roster, and Sauber is rebranded as Audi.
As a result, the F1 25: 2026 Season Pack could be viewed as a stopgap solution until a“deeply authentic” and “reimagined” game appears in 2027, and, on face value, it certainly feels this way.
For example, it’s impossible to race the new generation of cars in Ranked Multiplayer, Co-op Career, F1 World Series, Leagues, or Challenge Career modes, leaving only My Team, Driver Career, Unranked Multiplayer, Time Trial, and Custom Grand Prix. You must also use a new save file; the new cars cannot be transferred into an existing F1 25 career.
As some consolation, the 2026 Season Pack is priced lower than a full release ($29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and $24.99 / €24.99 / £21.99 on PC ), but with fewer game modes, can it truly be considered a vital upgrade for F1 fans?
Out with the old…
F1’s hybrid rules have been given a massive shake-up for 2026, with cars now featuring a 50/50 split in power (around 470 bhp from each) between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic (MGU-K).
The 2026 F1 vehicles still harvest electrical energy while on the throttle, under braking, and while coasting, sending the charge to a high-capacity battery that drives the MGU-K on the rear axle.
Because of the increased reliance on electrical power, it’s never been more important to harvest energy in F1, forcing drivers to lift and coast (LiCO) more often to keep their battery topped up (lift and coast is a driving technique where you completely lift your foot off the throttle before a braking zone, allowing the vehicle to slow down using aerodynamic drag before applying the brakes).
In this respect, the 2026 Season Pack delivers, mimicking the mental gymnastics that real F1 drivers have to perform to stay on pace. LiCO is extremely effective in topping up the battery, and the performance gains from deploying this charge are vital. Your engineer will pipe up on the radio to tell you this constantly. Leave me alone, Marc, I know what I’m doing.
Weight saving
Also notable is that the new cars feel more reactive, which could be down to the 30 Kg drop in mass from 2025. There’s a sense of greater stability in traction zones, although progressive throttle application is still required to stop your car spinning out à la Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen in Miami.
In terms of engine audio, the cars sound almost identical to the 2025-spec machines, which makes sense given they retain the same 1.6-litre turbocharged V6. Many will also be glad to know that the Honda motor in the back of the Aston Martin doesn’t shake itself to bits in-game…
New systems
Overtake
F1’s new Overtake Mode and Active Aero have also been replicated, with the former allowing drivers to harvest and deploy an extra 0.5 megajoules of energy per lap when within one second of the car ahead.
This makes a huge difference in lap time and is the main reason we’ve seen so many overtakes this season. It works well in-game, too, and is best used on long straights for maximum effectiveness. Normally, drivers cannot use 100% boost past 290 kph, but Overtake mode – denoted by a blue HUD – overrides this, helping the attacking driver close in on their opponent.
The AI appears to use its battery charge well, but it felt like Overtake mode was a bit of a cheat code at times, such was the ease with which I could pass cars. I guess that’s how it feels for the real drivers, too.
For those who don’t want the extra hassle of these systems, the game naturally offers assists to take control, and they don’t detract much from the core gameplay.
Active Aero
Active Aero essentially replaces the outgoing DRS system.
There are two phases of AA: the first is ‘Cornering Mode’, the default state of each car, featuring the highest levels of aerodynamic drag and grip. The second is ‘Straight Mode’, which works similarly to DRS in that it can only be activated through certain zones. This shifts the cars’ rear and front wings into their low-drag positions, increasing top speed.
The animations look spot-on in-game, but nothing has really changed from DRS: you still need to press a button to activate the S-Mode system in the designated zone; the only difference is that you can activate it on every lap.
It does affect your potential LiCO strategy, however, as the Active Aero only works when the throttle pedal is fully depressed. So, if you lift off early before a corner, bear in mind that this will significantly affect your speed.
It’s a bit of a shame we can’t see Ferrari and Red Bull’s revolving rear wings, though, but a post-release Sports Update, featuring more liveries and more accurate car models, might put this right.
Active Aero isn’t permitted around the confines of the Monaco street circuit, however, so that’s an authentic flourish captured by the developers.
Super-clipping
Super-clipping. In the words of EA SPORTS, ‘It’s in the game’.
Super-clipping debuts in the F1 series, mirroring the phenomenon of a car harvesting energy at full throttle. It was a source of embarrassment for F1 at the beginning of the season, as it often led to cars slowing down – even downshifting – when they should have been approaching terminal velocity.
After some rules tweaks following a frightening incident between Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto at Suzuka, the effect is less pronounced, but it’s definitely in the 2026 Season Pack. Some fans may not like it, but it’s a key facet of F1’s latest regulations.
To maintain sufficient battery charge, players can choose from four Energy Recovery System (ERS) deployment modes: Medium, Boost, Hotlap, and None.
You can select None to help build and maintain battery charge for a future overtake or quick lap, but this may leave you vulnerable, while Hotlap and Boost deploy charge more aggressively. Hotlap is ideal for qualifying, while Boost is better suited to short bursts of defending and attacking.
For the most part, selecting Medium and using the occasional manual Boost (remember to map this!) strikes a good balance between harvesting and outright pace.
Changes?
If you’re wondering why I’ve spent so long nattering about the new rules and how the cars drive, it’s because there’s not much else to discuss with the new DLC.
As you’d expect, it’s the same core F1 25 experience with new cars and rules, but there’s also scant innovation in the Driver Career and My Team modes, barring a few minor enhancements (practice programmes, for example).
Thankfully, there’s at least one new track to race on, Spain’s IFEMA Madrid Circuit, or Madring, for short. It was created using CAD data provided by the track’s creators, but can only be driven using the 2026 cars in-game.
It’s yet another street circuit, but there’s a twist: elevation change. After just a few laps in-game, I can already tell this will be a driver favourite, thanks to blind crests, high speeds, and the incredible La Monumental banked right-hander. It should be a cracker. We will have to wait until September to find out whether the developers have nailed its design, though.
There have been no further layout changes across the rest of the track roster, however, which is a shame given we were treated to five full laser-scanned upgrades in F1 25, but it’s a common theme with the 2026 Season Pack.
Controls
As ever, the EA/Codemasters F1 games are designed primarily for gamepad users, and the 2026 Season Pack doesn’t disappoint in this regard. Driving with a controller feels weighty and predictable, striking a nice balance between accessibility and precision.
More surprising is how it feels with a steering wheel, with my brand-new Simagic Zeus Formula steering wheel immediately mappable alongside my Moza mBooster pedals. It’s missing that last increment of ultimate feel, in my opinion, but I still had no problem being immersed in the game’s approachable vehicle dynamics.
The DLC’s user interface feels familiar and friendly, but with every passing year, you sense that Codemasters’ Ego engine requires a refresh due to pop-in and occasionally bland textures.
Conclusion
For those who don’t own F1 25, the 2026 Season Pack DLC is bundled with the game in a ‘Season Edition’ pack for $49.99 / €59.99 / £49.99 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and $49.99 / €49.99 / £44.99 on PC.
Even as a $29.99 / £21.99 DLC expansion, the price seems steep given how many modes are locked for the new cars, but there are some unconfirmed live service features set to appear at a later date. It’s also not known when (or if) we’ll see current-season Formula 2 content appear post-release.
However, the new DLC does a solid job of bringing the 2026 F1 season to life, with its depiction of the new rules and regulations feeling impressively authentic. Just don’t expect to find vastly different gameplay compared to the base F1 25 experience.
If you’re an F1 fan who hasn’t purchased an EA/Codemasters F1 game for quite some time, or if this is your introduction to the series, the Season Edition is an easy recommendation. For everyone else, I’d say hold off until 2027.