Sim Racing — news

The British Automotive series in Forza Horizon 6 has received a significant update, introducing 11 new vehicles to the game alongside a fresh Drift Attack mode. Three of the newly added cars are making their debut in the Forza Horizon franchise. The update expands the roster of British marques available to players within the dedicated series theme.

Studio 397 has announced an upcoming update for Le Mans Ultimate featuring authentic liveries from the 2026 European Le Mans Series season. The new paint schemes will reflect the real-world cars competing in the current championship. The update coincides with activity in both real and virtual motorsport. The ELMS will host its fourth round—the 4 Hours of Silverstone—on 12–13 September, followed a week later by a special virtual tournament in Le Mans Ultimate at the same circuit on 18–20 September. Developers showcased two LMP2 prototypes in Nielsen Racing colours as examples, displaying the team's blue-and-white 2026 scheme. The LMP2 class remains the headline category in ELMS, competing at every round alongside LMGT3 and LMP3, with 47 cars entered across the season. No exact release date has been confirmed, with Studio 397 only stating the update will arrive "soon"—expected before the Silverstone virtual event begins.

iRacing has announced the arrival of the Gen 4 Grand National, scheduled to debut in the 2026 Season 4 build. The new stock car will produce between 600 and 650 horsepower and will be accompanied by an official series within the platform. Existing owners of iRacing's Gen 4 stock car will receive the Grand National variant as a free upgrade, expanding the available vehicle roster without additional cost to current players.

Playground Games has reaffirmed its commitment to releasing Forza Horizon 6 on PlayStation 5 this year, putting to rest recent speculation about the multiplatform launch. The confirmation comes after uncertainty had emerged regarding the title's availability on Sony's console alongside its Xbox and PC releases.

iRacing's 2026 Season 3, Week 13 (September 8–14) features a full calendar of racing across multiple disciplines, highlighted by the return of the iRacing Suzuka 1000 endurance event and continued competition in the platform's flagship series. The iRacing Suzuka 1000 takes centre stage as a special event this week, recreating the legendary Japanese endurance race held annually at Suzuka Circuit since 1966. The event returned to the iRacing calendar in September 2025 as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. In the weekly racing series, the NASCAR iRacing Series reaches Week 28 of 36 at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway), with fixed-setup races on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Monday, and open-setup events spread across Thursday through Sunday. The iRacing Grand Prix Tour continues at MotorLand Aragón (Week 16 of 24), featuring the Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance across both fixed and open setups with multiple daily sessions. The newly launched iRacing DTM Series holds Week 7 of 8 at the Sachsenring, with races scheduled at 8:00 PM local time on Thursdays across global regions. The CREVENTIC Endurance Series (Season 6, Week 4) races at the Nürburgring Grand-Prix-Strecke with two sessions on Saturday. Several regular series are off this week, including the Dirt 410 Sprint Car Tour, Dirt Super Late Model Tour, NASCAR Modified Tour, Super Late Model Tour, Vintage Grand Prix Tour, and the Nürburgring Endurance Championship, with these resuming in iRacing Season 4. Week 13 also features curated daily racing series and special formats including iTested (GTP, LMP2, GT3), Left Turn It Up (Gen 4 Grand National), Super Slide (Sprint Car), and Prototype Challenge Fixed.

Codemasters has released Update 1.25 for F1 25, introducing Formula 2 2026 content alongside a fresh Sports Update and expanded hardware compatibility. The patch adds the 2026 F2 season to the game, along with new liveries and regulation changes. Support for SIMAGIC sim racing hardware has also been integrated, broadening the range of compatible wheels and peripherals for players using that brand's equipment.

Codemasters has released a new update for F1 25: 2026 Season Edition that introduces the 'Macarena wing' aerodynamic component alongside the latest Formula 2 liveries. The update brings the sim's car setups and visual content in line with current real-world motorsport specifications, allowing players to experience the 2026 season with up-to-date technical and aesthetic details.

Virtual Racing Community (VRC) has released the Formula Alpha mod for Assetto Corsa, a car designed around the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations. The mod includes aerodynamic features that reflect the upcoming F1 ruleset, including active aerodynamic elements that adjust during cornering and braking.

Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is receiving a Ferrari-themed expansion that introduces eight vehicles spanning the Italian marque's automotive heritage, alongside a dedicated island environment. The expansion will feature cars ranging from the Dino 206 GT through to the LaFerrari, offering players access to a cross-section of Ferrari's production history within the racing game.

The iRacing Creventic Endurance Series is set to return for its fifth consecutive year of partnership with Creventic, the organizers of the real-world 24H Series. The 2026 season will continue to offer team-based endurance racing across a curated selection of international circuits, maintaining the series' focus on accessibility for all iRacing members. The championship calendar comprises five events, combining multiple 12-hour races with a season-ending 24-hour contest. All 12-hour races will adhere to the established Creventic time slots, with starts scheduled for 01:00 GMT and 13:00 GMT on Saturdays. Full details regarding event schedules, car lineups, and additional series information are available on the iRacing Forums.

iRacing has announced the Suzuka 1000, a special event team endurance race scheduled for November 12th at 08:00 AM. Competitors will pilot GT3 machinery around the full Suzuka International Racing Course layout for 1000 kilometres (173 laps), with five race time slots running from Friday 22:00 GMT through Sunday 00:00 GMT to accommodate global participation. The event features a single-class GT3 grid comprising 12 car models, including the Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO, Audi R8 LMS EVO II GT3, BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020, and Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Teams must field a minimum of two drivers and a maximum of 16, with fair share driving time enforced. Entry requires a Sports Car license at Class C or higher, or Class D with a 4.0 Safety Rating. Dynamic weather will be active throughout the race, and setup tuning is unrestricted. Balance of Performance will be finalised closer to the event date. Incident penalties include Stop and Go penalties after 40 incidents, with disqualification triggered at 150 incident points per team. The Saturday 12:00 GMT time slot will receive a broadcast via RACESPOT on iRacing.com/live. The Suzuka 1000 is inspired by the real-world endurance race held annually at Suzuka Circuit in Japan since 1966. The event returned to the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar in September 2025 after a five-year absence. iRacing members can register teams through the Special Events page.

The iRacing DTM Series continues this week with racing at Sachsenring, one of Germany's most prominent road racing circuits. Races are scheduled for Thursday evenings across multiple time zones, with 8 PM start times in AEDT, CET, ET, and PT to accommodate the global iRacing community. The series employs a straightforward race format designed to replicate the intensity of the real-world DTM championship. Each race runs for 55 minutes, matching the duration of actual DTM events. Competitors use the same car models as the 2026 DTM series, with fuel tank capacity limited to introduce strategic pit stop decisions during the race. More details about the iRacing DTM Series are available on the official iRacing website.