Automobilista 2 V1.6.9.8 adds Renault R25 and R26, new tracks, and HUD overhaul

What the update adds

The official changelog lists several new additions. On the track side, Historic Track Pack Pt4 adds Barcelona 1999, Barcelona 2001, Imola 2005, Indianapolis 2001, Spielberg 2001, and Monza 2005. The Steam announcement also names the Hungaroring as part of the new DLC release.

On the car side, the update adds the Formula V10 Gen3 Class with the Renault R25, V10 Gen3 Bridgestone, and V10 Gen3 Michelin; the Formula V8 Gen1 Class with the Renault R26, V8 Gen1 Bridgestone, and V8 Gen1 Michelin; and the Formula V8 Gen2 Class with the Renault R28 and V8 Gen2 M1.

Reiza Studios says the Renault R25 and R26 are free for all users to enjoy, and notes that the two new DLC items will also be free for all users during the first few days after release.

Why this matters for racers and organizers

For players, the update is not only about new cars and tracks. Reiza Studios says the new version includes gameplay improvements intended to support more compelling and realistic endurance races, and specifically says the update arrives just in time for this weekend’s Le Mans 24h.

That matters for league organizers and sim-racing communities because endurance events tend to depend on predictable behavior, stable multiplayer sessions, and consistent setup rules. The patch adds a new "Limited Setup" option to the Rules & Penalties dialog for single-player Custom Events, and it also moves the MP "Force Default Setups" option into that unified menu.

The changelog also notes added basic dedicated server support for overriding vehicle weight, power, and drag per user Steam ID. For competitive organizers, that is a notable server-side control point, although Reiza Studios does not explain all intended use cases in the announcement.

Multiplayer fixes and stability changes

The update includes fixes that may be especially relevant for online racing. Reiza Studios says it fixed a crash to desktop when trying to join a server with an unofficial "mod" vehicle.

It also fixed an issue in multiplayer where vehicles at the front of the grid could be incorrectly shown one lap down when using a formation lap if the start/finish line is in the middle of the grid, with Bathurst given as the example in the changelog. That kind of correction can matter in streamed races, where timing and live standings are part of the viewing experience.

For regular players, the announcement also says users who encounter issues after updating, or who have an imminent league race to run, can remain on the previous V1.6.9.5 build by selecting the prior branch in Steam’s beta settings.

Physics, visuals, and HUD changes

Reiza Studios highlights several changes to dust, smoke, spray, and contrail effects. The changelog mentions improved particle emission and evolution dynamics for dirt tire dust, gravel dust, and grass dust, as well as added wheel arch particles for non-open-wheeler cars.

The update also increases dirt dust cloud density during wheel slippage, adds lingering dirt dust particles, and further improves dust cloud emission dynamics. Tire smoke emission dynamics are improved too, with increased smoke drag, higher friction required for slipping tires to produce smoke, and shorter smoke particle lifetime.

Wet-weather visuals are adjusted as well. The changelog says water spray diffuser particles were fixed so they no longer appear too far from the diffuser, with wetness requirements slightly reduced so they show up again under damp track conditions. Condensed wingtip contrails now require higher speed and humidity thresholds.

On the presentation side, the HUD overhaul is now complete and is the default option for new profiles. The update also adds a graphics option to toggle exhaust heat haze effects and a Parallax Occlusion Quality performance setting.

What streamers and league hosts may want to note

For content creators, several of these changes can affect how races look on screen rather than only how they feel to drive. Better dust, smoke, and spray behavior may make mixed conditions and close racing more readable for viewers, while the new HUD default can alter the look of broadcasts for new profiles.

League hosts may also want to review the new rules and setup options, especially if they run custom events or manage server-side restrictions. Reiza Studios says default championships have been added for F-V10 Gen3 and F-V8 Gen1-2, and that Top 8 championship scoring is now available.

The announcement further says qualifying session length has been increased to 20 minutes for the F-HiTech Gen2, F-Edge, and F-V10 Gen1-2 presets, and that a 12-plus qualifying format has been set for those same presets. Those changes may affect event planning and race-night scheduling.

Modding resources and version support

The Steam post also says V1.6.9.8 includes new modding resources referenced in Part 2 of the June Dev Update, with more information to follow on how best to use them. Reiza Studios does not expand on those resources in the announcement itself.

As a practical note, the developer says players can stay on V1.6.9.5 through Steam’s beta branch if they need to avoid the update temporarily. That gives leagues and tournament administrators a fallback while they test the new build or work around a scheduled event.