- Primary Subject: Automobilista 2 (Update 1.6.9.8)
- Key Update: Reiza Studios has launched update V1.6.9.8, introducing three new historical formula classes and shifting several championship-winning Renault Formula One cars to the base game as free content due to future licensing conflicts.Reiza Studios Forum
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 19, 2026
- Quick Answer: Update V1.6.9.8 for Automobilista 2 adds free historical Renault Formula One cars, three new formula classes, the Hungaroring circuit, and significant physics overhauls.
Reiza Studios has released V1.6.9.8 for Automobilista 2, and the rollout took longer than the version number suggests.
The Brazilian developer spent two development updates explaining why throughout June 2026, and the answer comes down to licensing complications that grew more complicated as the month went on.
What started as a straightforward content drop turned into a public conversation about which manufacturers get to stay in the sim long term.
McLaren Forces a Tough Call
The trouble traces back to talks between Reiza and McLaren Racing over extending the existing license and bringing more McLaren F1 cars into AMS2.
Those negotiations stalled because McLaren's current commercial arrangements prevent the company from licensing its F1 cars to a game that also carries officially licensed F1 content from other manufacturers, past or present.
That put Reiza in a bind. The studio currently runs official cars from Brabham, Lotus, and now Renault alongside McLaren, and keeping every one of them is no longer an option.
Reiza has chosen to prioritize the McLaren relationship as we move forward, which means the studio is now facing a delisting decision for the rest of its official F1 content.
To soften the blow, the Brazilian Racing Legends and Formula HiTech DLCs are on sale at 75% off until June 20 for anyone who wants the officially branded versions before they potentially disappear from new sales.
What the Delisting Actually Means
A final call on which official liveries stay and which get de-branded is still a few weeks out.
Once Reiza makes the decision, AMS2 will be updated so the affected cars are swapped for generic equivalents for anyone purchasing the game or its DLC from that point forward.
Nothing changes for current owners. Reiza has stressed this twice now, in both the dev update and the V1.6.9.8 release notes: any content already tied to your Steam account stays exactly as it is, no matter what happens to new sales down the line.
There's a wrinkle worth flagging for anyone excited about the new Renault cars.
The release notes carry a direct warning that the R25, R26, and R28 added in this very update could eventually face the same fate as Brabham and Lotus, since they fall under the same category of officially licensed F1 content that conflicts with McLaren's terms.
Renault fans get the cars for free today, but there's no guarantee they'll stay available to new buyers indefinitely.
Reiza has framed this as an ongoing cost of running a sim built on a dense web of third-party licenses. Deals expire, IP holders shift their commercial terms, and content that was previously fine can suddenly become a conflict.
The studio says it will keep working to preserve as much of AMS2's existing content pool as possible and will flag it early whenever that's no longer realistic.
Renault Goes Free for Everyone
The licensing situation also changed the plan for the new Renault content. The 2005 R25, 2006 R26, and 2008 R28, all championship-winning or race-winning cars in real life, were originally lined up as a paid Formula Pack DLC.
With future F1 licensing now uncertain, Reiza folded the cars into the base game as free content for every AMS2 owner instead.
The studio described it as a financial hit worth absorbing rather than holding back content fans had been anticipating for months.
Three New Formula Classes from the 2000s
Content-wise, V1.6.9.8 continues the 2000s nostalgia run that began with the Historical Endurance Pack Part I.
The update adds Formula V10 Gen3, representing the 2005 season and Fernando Alonso's first title fight against Kimi Raikkonnen's McLaren-Mercedes.
It also introduces the Formula V8 Gen1 and Gen2, spanning the early V8 era through the close of the refueling years. Each class pairs the new Renault cars with generic V10 and V8 entries built to the same specification.
The update also introduces Limited Setup options with Parc Ferme rules, plus support for both the 12-lap qualifying format used from 1993 to 2002 and the single-lap shootout that replaced it.
Hungaroring and a New Historic Track Pack
Two paid DLCs round out the content side of the release. The Hungaroring joins AMS2 in full laser-scanned form for $6.99.
The Historic Track Pack Pt4 adds Barcelona 1999, Barcelona 2001, Imola 2005, both Indianapolis 2001 layouts, and Spielberg 2001 for $7.99.
Monza 2005 is also part of this update, though it ships under the existing Premium Track Pack rather than the new bundle. Both fresh DLCs carry a free trial period for the first few days after release.
Tire Wars, Physics, and Wet Weather
The new formula classes split their grids between Bridgestone and Michelin tires, each modeled with the grip and durability traits of their real 2000s counterparts.
Tire graining itself isn't part of V1.6.9.8 yet. Reiza is holding that back, along with dedicated tire physics for the 2004/2005 prototypes and GTs, for the V1.6.9.9 update due later in June.
Several other classes picked up V1.7 physics revisions in this build, including Stock Car Brasil, Stock USA, Sprint Race, F-Junior, F-Vintages, BMW M1 Procar, Caterhams, Hypercars, and Supercars.
Wet and intermediate tires for these classes were fully overhauled, and standing water is back on the racing line via LiveTrack after being switched off post-V1.6. AI wet weather behavior has improved to match.
Smarter AI and New Tools for League Racers
AI pitstop logic now factors fuel load, lap time cost, and expected pitstop duration to calculate an optimal refueling strategy, a meaningful upgrade for longer races.
Every Grade 1 and Grade 2 track now carries custom AI setups, and individual AI drivers can vary their own setup choices between events rather than running identical configurations every time.
League organizers get new tools too. Dedicated server admins can now set ballast, power, and drag scalars per Steam ID for Balance of Performance adjustments, and single-player modders can configure the same scalars per livery through custom AI driver files.
What Comes Next
Reiza has already confirmed V1.6.9.9 is in development for later June, bringing tire graining and further AI race craft improvements with it.
V1.6.9.8 already gives endurance and formula racing fans plenty to dig into in the meantime, with a sharper AI grid and a new wave of physics work to put through their paces.
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