If you think the 2026 F1 regulations are too complicated, just try actually driving the cars in F1 25's Season Pack.16:00, 03 Jun 2026The F1 25 2026 Season Pack is here, with updated game modes, updated liveries, and, more importantly, updated 2026 F1 cars that offer an experience I can only describe as sensory overload. Which, having heard comments from real-life F1 drivers about what the 2026 cars are like to drive, seems pretty authentic.‌Back in November, as the 2025 Formula 1 season was drawing to a close, EA Sports and Codemasters revealed that they wouldn't be releasing a standalone game for 2026, instead deciding to launch a paid expansion for F1 25, which would incorporate the new 2026 cars and the updated regulations, instead focusing on a brand new title in 2027 that "looks, feels, and plays differently, delivering more gameplay choices".‌So, while we haven't got a brand-new game to review, we've got the F1 25 2026 Season Pack expansion. So, how do the new cars feel to drive? And, what new stuff has been added to F1 25? Let's take a look.‌Shut up and driveFirst up, let's talk about the new 2026 cars. For those of you who've been keeping up to date with F1 this season, you'll know that the cars and regulations are completely different for this season, with the 2026 cars being smaller, lighter and having less downforce than they did in 2025. They also have a roughly 50-50 split between engine and electric power, which means managing the battery and deploying battery power at the right time is very, very important.Let's cover the basics first. Straight Line Mode, which replaces DRS for this season, lowers both the rear and front wings in dedicated zones, while Overtake Mode, which is available when you're within one second of the car in front, gives you a 470-horsepower electrical boost to aid overtaking.So, how does this translate in the F1 25 2026 Season Pack? The driving experience is absolutely chaotic; there's just so much going on. You've got to manage your battery, think about the right places to deploy, defend against other cars, and, importantly, drive the actual car in a decent manner. If the goal was to replicate the real-life chaos of the F1 2026 season, EA and Codemasters have done a bang-up job. Apart from one thing, and it's a big one, as there's no super clipping.‌Without super clipping, which is the one new thing that isn't in the game, you have to do significant amounts of lifting and coasting around a lap to be quick, and while it does vary from track to track, if you don't, you'll run out of battery halfway down the back straight, and you'll be overtaken. Creating a very authentic experience has impacted the enjoyment of actually driving these cars. I'm not saying this is right or wrong, and I actually don't think there's a right answer. People would be critical if the game weren't realistic at all, but I do think having super clipping as a feature would help alleviate battery management issues. There is a small bit of recharge at the end of straights when at full throttle, but it's very, very minimal.What exacerbates this issue is that, when racing against the AI, they don't seem to lift and coast at all, meaning if you're focused on saving some battery in order to attack the car in front, it makes you extremely vulnerable to the car behind, so you're always stuck between a rock and a hard place.Of course, you can let the game manage both Straight Line mode and ERS in the assists menu, and just race without all the extra elements, but you run the risk of not being able to adapt dynamically to in-race situations, and it could make you slower than the AI in some situations.‌And this brings me to an existential question that EA and Codemasters have probably talked about in great detail: how realistic do we want to be compared to real life? The way they've implemented the new ERS system is very, very impressive, and it seems pretty spot-on with what we see in real life. But honestly, I'm finding it really hard to enjoy driving the cars because the ERS is just so realistic. Codemasters has done a really, really good job of being as true to life as possible, but this is a game after all, and should they have made it less authentic to be more enjoyable? I'm torn, but it's hard to be critical, as they've nailed the new rules, which is impressive given how complicated they are.If you take the battery out of the equation, though, the new cars are actually more enjoyable to drive. They feel more responsive and more alive than in last year's F1 game. They're way less planted at high speed, so you will need to adapt your driving compared to the previous game, but I found they were less on the limit in some scenarios, meaning they're a bit easier to catch when sliding.The cars feel more refined, smoother and more balanced overall. Braking feels smoother, and it's a bit harder to lock up. The traction out of slow corners is a bit easier to manage, it's easier to follow and these new cars handle bumps and curbs much better. So there's been some good refinement in the driving experience. It's a solid step forward from last year, in terms of pure driving physics, which is a good sign ahead of the new game next year.‌However, what I will say is that sim racing is very, very competitive right now, and games like Le Mans Ultimate, Assetto Corsa Evo and even the OG Assetto Corsa, put F1 25 to shame when it comes to the driving feel, in terms of the amount of feedback you get through the wheel and the way the car responds to your inputs. Again, EA and Codemasters are stuck in a position where they have to cater for casual players and hardcore sim racers, so it's always going to be difficult, but I really hope the next game sees significant improvements in this area, maybe with a casual mode and a hardcore mode, like what we see in EA FC 26, for example.Players can experience the new 2026 cars in a variety of existing game modes, including MyTeam, Career Mode, Time Trial, Custom Grand Prix and Unranked Multiplayer. But, disappointingly, the 2026 Season Pack does not support Two Player Career, which will definitely prove controversial, and I think that's a big oversight on Codemasters' part.Finally, none of the tracks has received updates, but the 2026 Season Pack expansion does include the new Madring track, which is set to be raced on in the 2026 F1 season in place of Circuit de Catalunya in September. The new track has been built using CAD data to make it as realistic as possible, even though it's not finished in real life yet! It's pretty fun to drive, for the most part, with loads of elevation and a stunning banked bend.Article continues belowVisually, the cars are all updated in line with the F1 2026 regulations and the updated liveries, with more updates on specific car changes still to come. Audio-wise, Codemasters has again done a great job with the new engines, particularly the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, which sounds absolutely superb and is definitely the best of all the teams.Overall, EA and Codemasters have done a great job of bringing the F1 2026 regulations to F1 25 in an authentic and accurate way. Whether that's the right way to go, and whether you'll enjoy driving these cars, will depend on personal preference, but you can't deny that they've introduced the new ERS system pretty impressively. For £24.99 ($29.99) on PlayStation and Xbox, or £21.99 ($24.99) on PC, if you already own F1 25 and you want to experience the 2026 regulations, I'd say it's pretty good value, particularly with the new Madring track and the updated career mode options, even if the lack of two-player career is a big oversight.F1 25 2026 Season Pack rating: 4/5