Lewis Hamilton confirms new F1 video game, but there's an issue

Lewis Hamilton, generic, Ferrari, Miami, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Lewis Hamilton confirms new F1 video game, but there's an issue

Lewis Hamilton has unveiled a new F1 video game

Originally written by Kerry Violet. This version is a translation.

Friday 22 May 2026 17:00

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has hinted at the arrival of a new F1 video game, using social media to confirm he will feature as one of its cover stars.

The launch of EA Sports’ F1 25 last year generated plenty of excitement, particularly among supporters of the British motorsport icon.

It gave players their first chance to race as Hamilton following his major switch to Ferrari, with the ex-Mercedes driver having never previously been represented in red in the series.

With the F1 2026 season now well underway, fans may have been wondering when F1 26 would be released, and in a post on social media platform 'X', Hamilton has provided an answer.

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"A New Era," wrote Hamilton, before the caption continued: "@easportsf1 reveal: May 20. #F125SeasonPack"

In the accompanying image, Hamilton stood in the centre, adopting the lead driver role for the promotion, with Gabriel Bortoleto stood beside him in a brand new Audi F1 race suit.

But if the game is set to be revealed on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and features marketing promotions with Audi and Cadillac, then why is it still called F1 25?

Why are EA Sports no longer releasing standalone F1 games?

Just as Hamilton teased, 2026 has ushered in a 'new era' for the pinnacle of motorsport.

Brand new chassis and power unit regulations, a new rookie driver in the form of fellow Brit Arvid Lindblad, and a much bigger focus on electrical energy.

But despite the new regulations cycle, the official F1 game won't be getting its usual standalone release to celebrate F1 2026.

Instead, players will have access to a new season pack in the form of a DLC (downloadable content) expansion, a choice which has been labelled a, 'strategic reset for the F1 franchise.'

This means gamers will still be able to download an expansion pack which will include the cars, updated teams, liveries and drivers to reflect the real-life F1 2026 championship, but a separate F1 26 game will not be released.

This will be the first year a standalone F1 game has not been released since 2008, with only Wii and PSP editions available in 2009.

In 2007 there was no game released at all, with Codemasters and EA's decision to not produce an F1 26 title the first time they have done so in over a decade.

But never fear, EA confirmed in November 2025 that 2027 will see the popular video game series return, kicking off the start of a new and more expansive F1 experience, and given the number of 'tweaks' made to the F1 2026 rules by the FIA already, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to let the motorsport governing body sort themselves out before releasing video games that align with the new rules.