Blog A Day: Day 18 - iRacing Season 1, 2026 Preview

On the 9th December, 2025, iRacing revealed the Season 1, 2025 calendar for the upcoming season. After a season-long hiatus between August and December, I was more than ready and raring to get the new season underway. After a hugely successful season in F3/Formula 3 in Season 3, 2025 (last season before pedals died), I thought it only fitting to return to the series in 2026. Alongside my mid-week Formula 3 shenanigans, on the weekends I decided to continue racing in both the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series (TCR VS GT4) and IMSA Sportscar Endurance Challenge Series (LMP3 VS GT4) - both in the GT4 class, and both in my trusty Aston. Thankfully (for me) both series run bi-weekly, so I can race in both series simultaneously. After a slightly quiet start to the season with the F3 series heading to VIR in it's first week, the season quickly ramps up in Week 2 - in a "King Of The Ring" format - each series heading to The Green Hell at some point in January.

To kick us off is the F3 series, in their second week.

Dec 23rd - F3/Formula 3 - Nurburgring Nordschliefe (Gesamstrecke)

Dec 23rd - Ringmeister - GT4 Class - Nurb. Nordschliefe (Industriefahrten) Dec 27th - IMPC - GT4/TCR - Nurburgring Nordschliefe Formula 3

The F3 series would have a double header, heading to the Hockenheim afterwards , before embarking on a world tour, ticking off all continents - including Europe (Barcelona), Oceania (Suzuka, Bathurst, The Bend and a Philip Island Finale) and the US (Daytona, Miami & Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez) SportsCar/GT4 In Sports-Car racing (specifically GT4) - it's non-stop thrills - the season kicking off at Spa in Week 1 (ISEC - GT4/LMP3), the IMPC series - as mentioned - heading to the ring. After a quick visit to Oulton Park, the GT4's next gear up for the "iRacing ROAR Before The 24... Jan 6th - FalkenTyre Sportscar Challenge @ Daytona (LMP3/GT4 Multiclass) Jan 10th - IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge @ Daytona (GT4/TCR)

Jan 10th - iRacing ROAR Before The 24 @ Daytona With the build up out of the way, it's time for one of the biggest events on iRacing - the iRacing Daytona 24 Hours, featuring the LMDH Prototype cars and GT3's - this gathers some of the biggest entry-lists all year - last year marking the largest event on record with over 23,000 drivers competing over four time-slots.

Year on year this record is blown out of the water, for context:

2022 - 15,780 total drivers 2024 - 18,575 total drivers 2025 - 23,000+ total drivers With the sim only going from strength to strength - one can only begin to imagine the number of entrants for this year. Whilst the ROAR may end, the action doesn't, as the ISEC (GT4 VS LMP3) is next at a street circuit - Montreal - with limited room, this will certainly be an interesting race to watch.

Sticking the street-circuit theme, the following week, the IMPC (GT4 VS TCR) is at Long Beach in late January. It's a triple-header for street-circuits as the following week, in ISEC (GT4 VS LMP3), the series heads to Miami - for some more street-based fun after Montreal. It's a flat-out race to the flag in February and March, as the GT4 series' next head to Monza, Portland (USA), Algarve - before ending the season in March with a bang at Bathurst battling each-other, a mountain, the walls and some pesky LMP3's - another one to certainly watch!