EA Sports will unveil its first look at the 2026 Season Pack for F1 25 on Wednesday, May 20, with a reveal trailer dropping at 4pm UK time (11am EDT/8am PDT). The announcement marks the studio's plan to expand the current game rather than release a standalone title for the real-world 2026 season.
Three drivers will headline the DLC: seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Gabriel Bortoleto (the former F3 and F2 champion), and Valtteri Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner. The choice of Bortoleto and Bottas is no coincidence. Both represent the two new teams entering the 2026 grid: Audi and Cadillac, respectively.
The 2026 season pack will overhaul the game to match the sport's sweeping regulatory changes, delivering new cars, updated driver rosters, and revised regulations. How EA handles the new car physics will be worth watching. Current F1 drivers have been vocal critics of the 2026 machines. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso has called the sport a "battery world championship," while 2025 champion Lando Norris has said F1 went from "the best cars ever made in Formula 1 and the nicest to drive to probably the worst." Even four-time champ Max Verstappen has joked he's abandoned the F1 simulator for Mario Kart.
EA confirmed late last year that no new standalone F1 game would ship alongside the 2026 real-world season. Instead, the expansion model will serve as the primary way fans experience the upcoming championship in digital form. The next full mainline entry is planned for 2027, which EA says will be "reimagined into a more expansive experience with new ways to play for fans around the world."
F1 25 itself received mixed praise. Critics noted the game excels as the strongest entry since the beloved F1 2020, though it stumbles in several areas, particularly its emphasis on cosmetic items and emotes over classic cars and deeper content.
Author Emily Chen: "EA betting the farm on a DLC expansion for 2026 instead of a fresh release is a calculated gamble, but the real test will be whether they've finally nailed the new car handling that's got the entire sport grumbling."
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