Automobilista 2 has one of the attention-grabbing, numerous and cognoscenti-appealing automobile lineups in sim racing. From the Brazilian Inventory Automotive Professional Sequence to Trophy Vehicles, and many in between
This consists of traditional Components 1 vehicles from the real-world, licensed, and a roster of fictional single-seaters to bulk out grids and eras.
Of the official F1 vehicles, Lotus, Brabham and Renault are accounted for, with the latter having three fashions represented for the sim racing title as lately as June this year for free.
That wasn’t the original plan, with these fashions initially meant to be paid DLC. Discussions with McLaren, it transpired, pressured the free launch and then threw the future existence of other official F1 cars into doubt.
AMS2 already options some McLaren F1 vehicles, such because the McLaren Honda MP4/4, however has lately teased extra trendy machines such because the MP4-20.
“These negotiations in the end reached an deadlock as latest industrial developments involving McLaren stop the corporate from licensing or re-licensing its F1 vehicles to video games that additionally function formally licensed F1 content material from different producers, be them [sic] present or from different eras,” acknowledged Studio Head and Undertaking Supervisor Renato Simioni on the time.
“The sensible consequence for AMS2 is that we are going to seemingly be required to make a tough selection as to which formally licensed F1 vehicles stay within the recreation for brand new purchases; both the McLarens or the Brabham, Lotus, and Renault F1 vehicles will stay official content material.”
September 2026 licensing replace
Now, as of tenth September 2026, Simioni has offered an replace, stating that the event studio has dedicated to a brand new settlement, however is but to listen to again and thus is constant with the Brabham, Lotus, and Renault F1 vehicles as they’re for now, whereas additionally not in a position to present an replace on when, or if, the McLaren autos will likely be launched:
“In our earlier dev replace again in June, we lined the continuing challenge of formally licensed F1 vehicles in AMS2, and the rising new battle offered to us throughout our try to increase our license settlement with McLaren Racing; proper after the publishing of that article, we agreed to the requirement of retaining a single official F1 producer in AMS2, and a brand new settlement conforming to such phrases was offered to us which we readily commited to; there was no progress since nevertheless, on that being signed into impact by the opposite celebration,” he posted to the Reiza forum.
“From the little we’ve got heard from them since, this might need been right down to an sadly timed personnel shuffle, whatever the circumstances, till the matter is resolved in some path we aren’t in a position to take any motion as regards to these formulation vehicles, which thus proceed as they at the moment are for an additional recreation replace.
“If we handle some decision on the matter inside a brief sufficient time from the upcoming launch, the is perhaps one other replace to replicate this improvement; if issues proceed with no clear decision nevertheless our focus will shift to the event of the main V1.7 replace, which is at the moment focused for in a while the 12 months, and any modifications round this content material will solely happen with then.”
Licensing in sim racing is an more and more complicated matter, with some automobile corporations extra open than ever, and others elevating boundaries to entry. Maybe of notice, each McLaren road cars and McLaren Racing have lately undergone vital structural, administration and possession modifications.