The 2026 F1 World Championship has been a weird one – in the first five months of the year, there have been five races; two were canceled with the threats of the last two also going that way, another street circuit was added to the calendar, and currently, an Italian teenager is beating everyone comfortably. I haven’t even mentioned the new regulations that make cars smaller, lighter, more nimble, and easier to race… for the most part. As well as the 11th team and the engine problems that everyone and their granny seem to have a problem with until their driver is winning.

Forgoing a full-fat, new release for the 2026 season, EA and Codemasters decided last November to swap to a “2026 Season Pack” DLC model. As noted recently, I’ve been playing a bit of it both this past week and the weekend prior during the Canadian GP, with the new cars, new regulations, and indeed, the new circuit, MADRING.

With the embargo on reviews and opinions on the circuit lifted yesterday and today, the MADRING circuit is a major part of this year’s DLC release. The new circuit is set to be slotted in just after Monza and two weeks before Baku, on the outskirts of Madrid, and is actually closer to Ciudad Real Madrid than the center of Madrid itself. Characterized by long, high-speed straights, a tight twisty segment, something that is an almost esses-inspired bit, a long banked corner, and is all built around a convention center. Surprisingly, it isn’t the typical Tilke-drome despite one or two of his typical trademarks.

As a circuit, it is certainly one of them. I don’t think the MADRING will be anyone’s favorite come the end of the season, whether in November or December, but it has some character to it. I do think that Codemasters will need to refine it a bit: If you’re using the racing line for any reason, the braking zones are a bit interesting. There are a couple of bumps you don’t see elsewhere, and generally there is that “getting to know the track” period. We’ve driven some form of Monaco, Montreal, Marina Bay, Baku, for years, so we know them. The MADRING is yet to be Grade 1 homologated.

Of course, the other major addition/change this year is the cars themselves. The 2026 season has been “interesting” because of those changes, with fans and drivers complaining about the new regs for one reason or another, and more than usual. As covered in the preview over a week ago, the cars are shorter in length by 20 cm (0.000000008 Walmarts in freedom units), 10 cm in width, and lost 30 kg in mass (1/8th of a cup in freedom units). As well as the engine changes, now being 50/50 between the I.C.E. (not that one) and the electric motor.

Playing a good few races with the new cars, both on the MADRING and elsewhere throughout the season, the cars are exactly what F1 management/the FIA say the cars are supposed to be. I raced Monaco with these regulations, starting right at the back of a 22-car grid in a HAAS, making up quite a few places to get a couple of points. Something that probably won’t happen this weekend during the actual race because these regulations in real life are not as simple as they are written on paper. Am I moaning about the game being too easy? No, I’m moaning about people’s expectations and the hype surrounding the regs.

Playing on a reasonable difficulty across multiple races, there is certainly something to the new active aero and push-to-pass system that is hyped up in broadcasts. Not to mention that in my experience, racing in single-player is a bit more aggressive because you’re side-by-side for longer or fighting for position on a somewhat level playing field. It isn’t about overtaking with DRS; it is a bit more about going into corners together or who brakes later. It is not perfect, and purists will bemoan the electrical boost you get. Some have compared F1 this season to Mario Kart, but as a game, it is fine.

The cars feel like a lot to handle this year with boost and “Straight Mode,” instead of just foot to the floor and occasionally getting that beep to activate DRS. Though there are assists to automatically activate boost and Straight Mode, it is like trying to be an octopus driving these 2026 cars, between changing gears, changing brake bias, activating straight mode, activating boost, and maintaining traction when exiting corners. The 2026 F1 cars are very much what Clarkson said of trucking.

Yet that’s kind of the fun. An F1 car is supposed to be a lot to handle, and these additions do just that, add to it. It is a bit frustrating, and I am a bit disappointed at the engine sounding like Wheezy from Toy Story when he’s lost his Squeak. They are supposed to be loud, fast, and aggressive, but to say that some of them lack anger would be an understatement. Which would be what I would say if I were being kind to Adrian Newey too, but if this is what Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are driving, I feel bad for them – yeah, even Sir Crash A Lot.

I didn’t even want to give the Aston Martin this year a second shot after I tried to use it in a race on the MADRING, because the front end of that car is about as useful as your granny’s doily. You need a good front end of whatever car you try to race on that circuit with because you are tipping the front end in and hoping the car sticks most of the time. Adrian Newey’s first (and maybe only) Aston Martin just doesn’t.

With the highest downforce package possible, that car has none, and you can feel it. Mostly because you’re like a cartoon character looking at the corner as your body goes flying past at 321 kph (Mach Jesus in freedom units). Driving around the MADRING with five or six different cars, it was the worst by a country mile. Thankfully, I don’t need freedom units for that one.

Of course, one of those cars I tried was the new Cadillac; the 11th team on the grid makes for more overtakes when starting at the back and more fun to be had. Bemoan the fact that there are now 22 cars on the grid if you want. I watch F3 where there are 30 cars racing on the streets of Monaco. Like the others, there isn’t really much to say; it is an F1 car through and through, albeit a bit slower than most for obvious reasons.

I like the look of it, but if we’re talking looks, we also need to talk about the Audi livery and how it looks like the 2006-2009 McLaren, kinda. Audi being the other team change this year, though that’s just a rebrand of the old Sauber. Both teams, of course, have their official drivers, which probably makes some think this is little more than an update being played up as DLC. So be it.

However, what is probably most detracting for some is what I noted in the preview last month. The 2026 cars are available in multiplayer, just not ranked multiplayer for whatever reason. My guess is that, given the overtaking being so tight-knit, there is a desire to get people used to this way of driving and overtaking before allowing people to go play this year’s regs in a ranked mode where crashes and other awful behavior common in F1 multiplayer lobbies are, well, common.

I’m not exactly a fan of multiplayer at the best of times; however, it is an odd choice what the F1 25 2026 Season Pack does and doesn’t support. As noted before, you can’t play the 2026 Season Pack in “F1 World Series, Co-op Career, Ranked Multiplayer, Leagues, Vendor Goals, and Challenge Career.” Also, for the perverts who like achievements, there are none for this DLC. You can play with the 2026 regs in Driver Career, My Team, Grand Prix, Time Trial, Split-screen, Pro Challenges, and unranked multiplayer.

As a DLC, it depends on what you’re looking for that decides how much mileage you’ll get out of it. In my opinion, I like the cars and regs to make closer racing, and I don’t hate the MADRING, but I certainly think that, of the circuits on the calendar, it is one of them. Ultimately, I think the price of $29.99 ($24.99 on PC) for the F1 25: 2026 Season Pack DLC or $49.99 for the F1 25: 2026 Season Edition with both the base game and the DLC will be the decider.

A PC review copy of F1 25: 2026 Season Pack was provided by Electronic Arts for this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

F1 25: 2026 Season Pack

$24.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• The 2026 cars are a bit more to handle and keep pace.
• There are interesting bits to the MADRING.

Cons

• A push bike might be more controllable than the Aston Martin.
• Restrictions on what is and isn't playable will put some off the DLC.