F1 26 Season Pack Beginner’s Guide: Best Place To Start

The new F1 25: 2026 Season Pack is here, and in the place of a fully new F1 26 game. It does however add some changes to the game, and brings the new 2026 Formula 1 cars, teams, and the new Madrid circuit.

Whether you’re jumping into F1 25 for the first time with the 2026 Season Pack, or if you’re continuing on from F1 25. I’ve created this ultimate F1 26 beginner’s guide to run through what’s new in 2026, and how to improve.

Watch our beginners guide video

Video coming soon.

Hardware setup and calibration

First things first, lets talk setup. And that starts with correctly setting up your hardware. This step will ensure you racing wheel, controller and PC are all providing the best base experience for F1 26.

---

Controller, Racing wheel and pedal set up

If you are planning on racing with a controller, set up should be the most simple. As long as your controller is paired to your PC or console, boot up F1 26 and you should be good to start racing. However, I would recommend changing some key controller settings to make the handling more comfortable.

Recommended controller settings

Below are the controller calibration settings I’d recommend. These make the steering smoother with more granularity and precision.

Setting	Recommended Value
Steering rate	140%
Steering deadzone	0 (increase if your steering input test doesn’t stay at 0)
Steering linearity	40
Steering saturation	10
Throttle deadzone	0
Throttle linearity	50
Throttle saturation	0
Brake deadzone	5
Brake linearity	35
Brake saturation	0

If you are racing F1 26 with a racing wheel, set up is a little more involved, however, it doesn’t need to be tricky. Much like a controller, ensure your racing wheel and pedals are connected to your PC or console. If racing on a PC, ensure they are up-to-date by checking the firmware inside your racing wheels software. This is Pit House for MOZA wheels, the Fanatec App for Fanatec and Tuner for Simucube.

If your wheel is connected, and up to date, you should be good once again to start F1 26 and go racing. However, setting up the best racing wheel settings is a process you should definitely go through.

Because there are so many racing wheels, below are our guides on the best force feedback settings for the most popular brands.

• Recommended controller settings
• Recommended Fanatec settings
• Recommended MOZA settings
• Recommended Logitech settings
• All wheel settings

---

What is new in the 2026 Season Pack

With the 2026 Season Pack introducing a completely new regulation set, there are some key difference that have been introduced this year. The main one is the battery and ERS management. This has been a huge feature in the 2026 season, and the additional ERS modes and overtake modes are in the 2026 DLC.

The addition of the new overtake zones give you an additional boost to your electrical power that you can deploy throughout a lap. The overtake mode gives a huge boost to your power and can be really effective at pulling off overtakes. However, managing your ERS battery level will be even more important this year.

Another big change in how the cars behave is with the active aero. Much like DRS in F1 25, the active aero in F1 2026 Season Pack can be manually activated and deactivated. It creates gaps in both your front and rear wing, and can be activated much more often around a lap.

These two changes are the core handling and gameplay changes that we have in F1 26. Both will affect your car setup and how you approach every lap in this years F1 game.

---

Choosing the correct AI difficulty for your skill level

One of the most important aspects to get right before starting any career in F1 26 is selecting the right AI difficulty. Set it too low and races become uncompetitive. Set it too high and keeping pace can quickly become frustrating.

This is where our dedicated F1 26 AI Difficulty Calculator is designed to help. It easily matches drivers accurately to the right AI difficulty for your current skill level. By comparing lap time data, our calculator provides a recommended difficulty setting for each circuit, ensuring more realistic and enjoyable racing.

To use the calculator, simply enter a Time Trial session and set your fastest clean lap. Once you have a representative lap time, select the circuit and input your result into the calculator. Based on extensive benchmarking and performance analysis, the tool will generate a recommended AI difficulty setting.

This creates a much more balanced racing experience across Career Mode, My Team, Grand Prix, and the F1 2026 Season Pack content.

While the calculator provides an excellent starting point, it is still worth fine tuning the result slightly. Some players prefer fighting for victories every weekend, while others enjoy battling through the midfield and working their way up the grid. Small adjustments of two to five AI points can dramatically change the overall challenge.

---

Set up your assists

One of the strengths of F1 25 is its accessibility and this hasn’t changed in the 2026 Season Pack. The game includes a comprehensive suite of assists that allow players of all skill levels to enjoy the high speed racing while improving their speed at their own pace.

Managing braking, traction, ERS deployment, tyre temperatures, and race strategy all at the same time can be incredibly overwhelming. As your confidence grows, gradually reducing assists often leads to faster lap times and a more rewarding driving experience.

It is important to understand that certain assists can limit outright performance. Assists such as Traction Control and Anti Lock Braking prevent wheelspin and tyre lockups, but they also intervene before the car reaches its maximum performance potential.

This can result in slower lap times compared to driving with some assists off. For many players, however, consistency and confidence outweigh the small performance trade off.

Below are my recommendations for which assists to enable and disable based on your skill level.

Assist	Beginner	Returning player	Experienced sim racer
Steering assist	Off	Off	Off
Braking assist	Off	Off	Off
Anti-lock brakes	On	On	Off
Traction control	Full	Medium	Off
Dynamic racing line	Full	Corners Only	Off
Gearbox	Automatic	Automatic	Manual
Pit Assist	On	Off	Off
Pit Release Assist	On	Off	Off
ERS Assist	On	On	Off
DRS Assist	On	Off	Off

---

Which Game Mode Should You Play First?

After configuring your assists and AI difficulty, it is time to begin driving. But where do you start and what is new in the 2026 Season Pack? Well, the main addition is that we now have the full 2026 season which is driveable in career mode and My Team.

Start with Time Trial

Before starting a career mode though, I’d highly recommend putting in some laps in time trial. This remains the best place to begin.

In this mode:

• Tyre wear is disabled
• Fuel load is fixed
• Track grip is maximised
• Weather conditions remain stable
• You can restart instantly

This creates the perfect environment for learning circuits, understanding the handling model, and developing consistency without external variables.

Many pro esports drivers spend hundreds of laps in Time Trial before entering competitive races because it allows them to focus entirely on driving technique.

Move into Grand Prix Weekends

Once comfortable, transition into Grand Prix mode with at least one practice session enabled. Unlike Time Trial, Grand Prix weekends introduce:

• Track evolution
• Fuel load effects
• Tyre degradation
• Weather variation
• Strategic decision making

These factors dramatically affect how the car behaves and better replicate a real Formula 1 race weekend.

Every Game Mode in F1 26 Explained

Time Trial

Time Trial focuses entirely on setting the fastest possible lap time. It is the best mode for learning circuits, testing setups, and comparing your performance against global leaderboards.

Grand Prix

Grand Prix mode allows you to create custom race weekends and championships against AI opponents. It is ideal for players who want realistic Formula 1 racing without committing to a full career.

F1 World

F1 World acts as the central progression hub within F1 26. Players can unlock upgrades, complete objectives, participate in events, and race in a variety of single player and multiplayer challenges.

--- Article continues below --- Shop Sim Racing Discounts

My Team

My Team remains one of the most feature rich modes in F1 26.

You create and manage your own Formula 1 organisation, overseeing:

• Driver recruitment
• Facility upgrades
• Research and development
• Sponsorship management
• Long term team growth

The mode combines racing simulation with management mechanics and remains one of the most popular experiences in the game.

Driver Career

Driver Career focuses solely on your journey as a Formula 1 driver. Negotiate contracts, move between teams, and pursue World Championships over multiple seasons.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer allows you to compete directly against real players from around the world. Success here requires consistency, racecraft, strategic awareness, and strong tyre management.

---

Unlock your potential with car setups

One of the most powerful tools available in F1 26 is the ability to change your car setup. Every Formula 1 team in the real world spends enormous amounts of time optimising setups for each circuit. The same principles apply within F1 26 and the F1 2026 Season Pack.

A well tuned setup can improve:

• Cornering performance
• Straight line speed
• Tyre longevity
• Stability under braking
• Overall driver confidence

While the game includes several preset setups, custom setups, such as our free or pro F1 26 setups, almost always provide better performance.

Below is an overview of what each part of your car setup does;

Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics determine how much downforce the car generates. More downforce increases cornering grip but reduces top speed. Less downforce improves straight line performance but can reduce stability. With the 26 cars, higher downforce could be run as the straight modes remove a lot of drag along most straights.

Differential

The differential controls how power is distributed between the rear wheels. Proper adjustment influences traction, corner exit stability, and overall vehicle rotation.

Suspension Geometry

Camber and toe settings affect tyre contact patches, mechanical grip, and tyre wear characteristics.

Suspension

Suspension settings influence how the car responds to kerbs, weight transfer, and track surface changes.

Brakes

Brake pressure and brake bias determine stopping performance and vehicle stability under heavy braking.

Tyres

Tyre pressures influence operating temperatures, grip levels, and wear rates throughout a race stint.

--- Article continues below ---

---

Learn Effective Race Strategies

Race strategy is often the difference between gaining positions and losing them. Even with identical pace, the correct tyre strategy can dramatically alter your finishing position.

During a Grand Prix weekend, the game will suggest some race strategies, so you can just select one and forget if you want. Or you can tinker and adjust your race strategy to really perfect your race stints.

Understanding F1 26 Tyre Compounds

Soft Tyres

Soft tyres offer the highest levels of grip and performance but experience the fastest wear rates. They are commonly used during qualifying and shorter race stints.

Medium Tyres

Medium tyres provide the best balance between performance and durability, making them the most versatile race tyre.

Hard Tyres

Hard tyres deliver the longest lifespan but offer reduced grip compared to softer compounds. For races longer than 25 percent distance, a Medium to Hard strategy with a single pit stop is often the safest and most effective option on many circuits.

Because a pit stop can cost approximately 20 to 25 seconds depending on the track, minimising pit visits frequently leads to stronger overall race times.

Key Strategy Tips

• Select the strategy with the lowest projected race time.
• Learn tyre management techniques to extend stint lengths.
• Avoid excessive wheelspin and lockups.
• Monitor tyre wear throughout the race.
• Manage ERS deployment carefully.
• Save battery power for overtaking opportunities and defensive situations.

---

Essential Driving Techniques Every F1 26 Player Should Learn

You may have comfortably disabled some assists, loaded in the fastest car setup and selected a competitive strategy. Now its time to put it all together on track. Here are some key techniques every F1 26 driver should learn to improve lap time.

Master Throttle Control

One of the most important skills in F1 26 is managing your traction. Aggressive throttle application can cause wheelspin, overheating, and reduced tyre life. Learning to progressively apply power on corner exit improves both pace and consistency.

Hit Every Apex

The fastest route around any circuit follows the optimal racing line and consistently clips the apex of each corner. Missing apexes increases distance travelled and reduces corner exit speed.

Use the Full Width of the Circuit

Maximising track width allows for smoother cornering arcs and higher minimum corner speeds. Professional drivers use every centimetre of available track surface to gain lap time. That includes widening the track on the entry to a corner and using all run off available, while ensuring you keep one wheel on track at all times.

Learn Trail Braking

Trail braking is one of the most effective advanced techniques you can learn. By gradually releasing brake pressure while turning into a corner, drivers maintain load on the front tyres, increasing rotation and improving corner entry performance.

---

Starting Your First Career Mode

Once you feel comfortable with the fundamentals, it is time to begin your long term journey. And that can come in a few varieties. There are two core career modes, My Team and Driver Career. Then there is the Braking Point mode, which hasn’t seen an update for 2026 unfortunately.

My Team Career

My Team offers the deepest experience available in F1 26. You will create an organisation from scratch, manage facilities, sign drivers, and develop your team into a championship contender.

Driver Career

Driver Career focuses entirely on your personal progression through Formula 1. Negotiate contracts, build rivalries, and compete for World Championships across multiple seasons.

Braking Point

Braking Point returns as a narrative driven experience that combines racing action with cinematic storytelling. It also serves as an excellent introduction for players who want a guided experience before moving into the deeper simulation modes.

---

Conclusion

Mastering F1 26 takes time, practice, and patience. The combination of proper AI difficulty settings, carefully chosen assists, effective car setups, and strong driving fundamentals will dramatically accelerate your progress.

Whether you are entering the world of F1 for the first time or returning for the 2026 Season Pack, focusing on consistency before outright speed will deliver the best results. Build confidence, learn the circuits, refine your racecraft, and the lap times will naturally follow.

---

---

• Written by Rich Article updated on June 3, 2026 Tags: Gaming, Tips & Tricks, EA Sports F1

---

Grab Your Sim Racing Gear Here

You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.