FIA Stewards & Investigation System
So the Hungarian Grand Prix got me thinking about a really authentic way to make the penalty system improved or more updates Like when Lewis Hamilton got a 5 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane it doesn't get applied immediately. It takes time, The game should reflect that. Overview The current penalty system applies decisions almost instantly, reducing realism and removing the uncertainty that exists during real Formula One races. This feature introduces a dynamic FIA Stewarding System where incidents are investigated before a decision is reached. Not every incident results in a penalty, and investigation times vary depending on the complexity of the event. The objective is to replicate the procedures seen during official FIA Formula One Grands Prix while ensuring gameplay remains clear and responsive Race Control When an incident occurs, Race Control displays one of several initial messages. Race Control Incident involving Car 21 and Car 14 noted. or > Incident between Car 21 and Car 14 under investigation. The notification provides no indication of fault, mirroring real FIA procedure. Steward Review Once an incident has been flagged, the game begins analysing multiple factors, including: Corner ownership Relative overlap Braking points Steering inputs Closing speed Racing line Previous warnings Track limits Weather conditions Visibility Mechanical damage Chain-reaction incidents involving multiple cars Investigation duration is variable. Simple incidents Approximately 20–40 seconds Standard incidents 1–3 laps Complex multi-car incidents Up to 5 laps The review can continue during Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car periods. Engineer Communication Engineers receive information from Race Control exactly as teams do in Formula One. Examples: > "Race Control have noted the incident." > "The stewards are reviewing that one." > "We've submitted our view. We'll wait for the decision." If a penalty is issued: > "You've received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision." If cleared: > "Stewards have taken no further action." Possible Outcomes Not every Investigation results in a penalty Possible decisions include: No Further Investigation No Further Action Racing Incident Warning Black and White Flag Five-Second Time Penalty Ten-Second Time Penalty Drive-Through Penalty Stop-Go Penalty Disqualification (for severe sporting or technical infringements) Each decision includes a written explanation based on the FIA Sporting Regulations Steward Report Following the race, players can access a complete Steward Report. Example: Lap 27 Cars Involved Car 21 Car 14 Decision Five-Second Time Penalty Reasoning Car 21 attempted an overtake into Turn 4 but failed to achieve sufficient overlap before turn-in. Contact was made with Car 14, forcing both cars off the racing surface. The stewards determined Car 21 was predominantly at fault and imposed a five-second time penalty for causing a collision. Available evidence includes: Broadcast replay Driver onboard cameras Aerial replay Telemetry comparison Steering and braking traces AI Stewarding The stewarding system applies equally to all competitors. AI drivers are investigated using the same rules as the player, ensuring consistent decision-making throughout every race weekend. Gameplay Settings Players may customise the system through the assists menu. Steward Realism Simplified Standard Simulation Decision Speed Immediate Broadcast Authentic Steward Consistency Lenient Balanced Strict Race Control Messages Minimal Standard Broadcast The uncertainty while waiting for a decision would add tension and make races feel much closer to a real Formula One weekend, where penalties are often issued several laps after an incident rather than immediately.2026 liveries and individual team updates coming?
Are any of the individual special team liveries I.E. Racing Bulls, McLaren or William or car updated coming to the F1 25 season 2026 Update? it would be great to reflect what is actually on the grid. The option to have the Macarena wing with Ferrari and Red Bull or employ team specific upgrades.Malaysia joins the calendar!
I'm sure we all know that Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026. Malaysia hasn't been on the F1 calendar since 2017 so obviously, it hasn't been in the F1 game for several years. Considering the fact that the team is fully focused on F1 27 with F1 26 only being a DLC, is there any chance at all of Malaysia being added to the game? Even if it's a version of the track from years ago, I'm sure the players would love the track to return to the game this year. In my opinion: Codemasters will have to recreate the track for F1 27 anyway. So why not get it out of the way now and add it to 26? The only reason would be that F1 27 will be run on a different engine than to F1 26. What do you guys think? Should Malaysia be added to the game? COULD it be added to the game?
Racenet 2026?
Are we going to get an updated Racenet for the 2026 cars? It only shows the 2025 Time Trial performance at the moment. Frustratingly, Racenet seems to be a really neglected feature for the game. It should be capable of so much more, and a lot of third party developers are putting Codemasters/EA to shame when it comes to using UDP features and telemetry. SimRacingSetups, P1 Telemetry and so many more apps provide users with even more telemetry detail than Racenet currently does, and they do it for every single session, not just Time Trail. P1 Telemetry even records every lap for every driver in the session for comparison. It provides you with really useful information on your tyre wear, fuel usage, ERS deployment behaviour, grip/G-force levels/steering input, and even analyses laps and tells you exactly where you are gaining and losing time. It shows a complete statistical breakdown of the entire race. This is all information that is readily available from the game's UDP Telemetry data. For 2026, it is more vital than ever to be able to see how and why your driving, deployment and LICO strategies are contributing to your laptime and race performance. This information is right there in the game, and yet it is being wasted by the developers. Can we look at expanding Racenet to all sessions? This would be a fantastic tool for Career modes and league racers to be improving their pace. It should be a great feature for practice sessions, especially since Time Trial is no longer relevant to race performance. I would even be happy to pay a subscription for this in the app. The other developers are charging for it, so why are Codemasters/EA leaving revenue on the table?
