Reiza Studios has outlined the upcoming Automobilista 2 v1.6.9.7 update, and it may well be the biggest Formula-based release the sim has seen so far.
When Reiza Studios released the new Formula Hybrid Gen 1 and Formula Edge cars for Automobilista 2 in late March, the new content was praised by many - but as it turns out, this was just a small sign of things yet to come: The latest dev update posted by Reiza Founder and Lead Developer Renato Simioni outlines an update that is certainly going to be one that'll make the mouths of early 2000s F1 fans water.
Three new F1-style classes are set to arrive alongside more era-appropriate tracks, plus a much-requested feature for multiplayer racers - and quite a bit more. Let's take a look.
Formula V10 Gen 3 (2005)
The final season of F1's V10 era is coming to AMS2, and it will be represented by the two quickest cars of that year: The Renault R25, in which Fernando Alonso took his first World Championship title and the McLaren MP4/20, which gave the Spaniard a run for his money, are coming as licensed content, although the McLaren has not been explicitly mentioned. It could be spotted in preview screenshots, however. A third, generic car that appears to be modelled after the BAR 007, completes the grid.
Exceeding 900 hp and revving past 19,000 rpm, the engines in these cars were the ultimate version of the beloved 3.0-litre V10S that had been used by every team since 1998. For many (including the author of this article), this is the definitive sound of Formula One, and while the high-revving V8s that followed were also mightily impressive, they are generally not regarded as highly as the V10s.
Formula V8 Gen 1 (F1 2006)
Moving on one year, the first season of F1's V8 era was memorable for the title battle of Alonso versus Michael Schumacher in what would turn out to be the German's final season in the sport - until 2010, that is. Again, Renault appears with its licensed 2006 challenger in AMS2: The R26 is famous for its tuned mass damper, which was banned after the French Grand Prix.
Renault had developed the system in late 2005, and it allowed the car to remain much more stable over bumps and kerbs. Reports at the time suggested that it was good for a 0.3-second gain in lap time, despite being fairly simple: A weighted disc was suspended inside an upright cylinder by springs, which was mounted inside the car's nosecone. By using inertia, the weight would counteract bumps and jolts, keeping the car's aerodynamics more stable. Because of this, the FIA deemed it a movable aerodynamic device, which led to its ban.
No McLaren arrives in the F-V8 Gen 1 class, but a generic car seemingly based on the Honda RA106 joins the Renault.
Just like in the 2005 class, Reiza has opted to separate the generic car by tyre brands. At the time, the tyre war between Bridgestone and Michelin was still ongoing, and the separation led to slight differences in tyre physics between manufacturers.
Formula V8 Gen 2 (F1 2008)
The final season on grooved tyres, Robert Kubica's only F1 victory, "is that Glock?" and Lewis Hamilton's first title - 2008 was also quite a memorable season, and AMS2 will have three cars available to celebrate it. Again, the licensed challenger of Renault (R28) ist on the grid, and they are joined by another generic car that appears to be modelled after the Force India VJM01.
Unlike the 2005 and 2006 classes, this one will not feature cars separated by tire manufacturer, simply because Michelin had pulled out of F1 at the end of 2006 and Bridgestone was the exclusive tire supplier, a role which it would keep until the end of 2010.
2001 McLaren MP4/16 In F-V10 Gen 2
To round out the car collection, another new set of wheels will appear in an existing class: The McLaren MP4/16, driven by Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, joins the Formula V10 Gen 2 class, which represents the 2001 season. The class itself has been in AMS2 since the beginning, and it gets a bit more depth this way.
As with the 2005 and 2006 classes, the Bridgestone-Michelin split is applied to the generic car, which is more or less a Williams FW23. 2001 was the first season Michelin competed against Bridgestone, and the French manufacturer scored four wins courtesy of Williams drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Spot the McLaren on the right side of the image!
New Tracks: Hungaroring Debuts In Automobilista 2
With the incoming update, a brand-new circuit is set to debut in AMS2: As we already teased (with Reiza's blessing) in the article highlighting Taki Inoue's career, the Hungaroring will join the sim's track list in its 2025 guise - but since its layout hasn't changed since 2003, it is a fitting addition for most of the new content. The track's main straight was extended back then, and turn 1 was tightened as a result. The section between turns 12 and 13 was also revamped quite a bit, with the T11-T12 straight being lengthened and T12 being tightened as a result.
Additionally, several tracks that are already in AMS2 get versions that fit the early 2000s theme: 2005 variants of Monza and Imola are coming, as are 2001 versions of Catalunya, the Red Bull Ring (then known as A1 Ring), and Indianapolis - the latter including both the road course and the oval. Additionally, a 1999 version of Catalunya is also part of the update.
While only Indianapolis has a significantly different layout, the period-correct versions of these tracks should be a good way to add immersion for the era-appropriate cars.
Monza 2005 will also be available in v1.6.9.8. However, for licensing reasons, this is included with the Premium Track Pack. If you already own that or anything that includes the Monza DLC, you are all set for Monza 2005!
All of these tracks arrive as part of the Historical Track Pack Pt.4 DLC.
Parc Fermé Rules & BOP Adjustments
It is not just content that Reiza have been working on, though. For one, parc fermé rules are coming as an option, meaning that setup changes between qualifying and the race can be restricted. This was in use in the 2005 F1 season, for instance, where drivers had a single lap on Saturday on low fuel, then another single lap on Sunday morning on race fuel, the aggregate of which would determine their starting position.
For now, this option only works during custom single-player race weekends, but it is planned to be rolled out to online multiplayer and single-player championships as well. The setup limitations are in effect as soon as a car leaves the pits for the first time in a qualifying session.
More interestingly for the multiplayer side of things, BOP adjustments will be possible via JSON files on dedicated servers. These BOP changes can be tied to a player's Steam ID, using ballast, power, and drag scalars.
Similarly, this can be done via AI driver files for singleplayer, with the added bonus that the BOP also applies to the player if they decide to drive a car with BOP applied. That means in a class like F-V10 Gen 2, where most of the grid uses the same car, players will be at a disadvantage when running a Minardi-liveried car rather than having the same base performance in any car they pick - another interesting option for those who are seeking more immersion.
Other Improvements
Further improvements include additional physics revisions leading up to the v1.7 milestone release, as well as an overhaul of intermediate and wet tyres across several classes. At the same time, AI performance in rainy conditions has seen some work to make them behave in a more balanced manner.
Finally, as a purely visual touch, a heat haze effect is added to the F-V10 Gen 2 and 3 cars and the F-V8 Gen 1 and 2 cars.
What do you think about the first part of this huge Automobilista 2 update? Let us know in the comments down below!