By spring 2025, iRacers were eager for a long-promised update: the complete hybrid system overhaul for the GTP and Hypercar classes. After months of community feedback and developer acknowledgments, many expected it to land in Season 3. Instead, iRacing announced the hybrid rework wasn’t ready, resetting expectations and confirming the changes would come later in the year.
What Was Promised
Back in December 2024, iRacing developers admitted that the hybrid systems in GTPs weren’t up to par. They committed to a two-stage fix:
- Tires first — a re-development of the class tire model to curb unrealistic cornering speeds.
- Hybrid overhaul second — a full rewrite of hybrid architecture to better match real-world behavior.
Many assumed both stages would land quickly, but the dev team made it clear in May: while tire work was already moving, hybrids needed a more fundamental solution.
The Reason for Delay
The hybrid system wasn’t just receiving tweaks. Instead, iRacing engineers were rebuilding the entire hybrid code framework:
- New architecture: Designed to support multiple types of hybrid systems (GTP, Hypercar, F1-style, eventually INDYCAR).
- Rule accuracy: Wheel power limits, deployment thresholds, and pit-stop energy replenishment all needed to be implemented correctly.
- Future-proofing: A modular design so upcoming cars — from LMH prototypes to Indy hybrids — could be modeled without starting from scratch.
The developers explained that rushing this update into Season 3 would compromise quality, so they chose to hold it until the work was complete.
Community Reaction
Reaction was mixed. Some drivers were frustrated by the delay, eager to experience realistic hybrid deployment after months of waiting. Others appreciated the transparency — better to delay and deliver a correct system than to push an incomplete fix.
The key reassurance from iRacing: the work was well underway, and the payoff would be worth it.
Setting Expectations
With the May 2025 announcement, the roadmap became clearer:
- Season 3 (June 2025): Tire updates first, hybrids unchanged.
- Season 4 (September 2025): Target for full hybrid overhaul release.
This realignment gave iRacers something to hold onto — a timeline, even if delayed. It also raised the stakes: when the overhaul finally arrived, it needed to deliver the realism the community demanded.
TL;DR
- Hybrid overhaul was expected for Season 3 but was delayed to Season 4.
- Developers chose a full architecture rewrite rather than a quick patch.
- Work focused on flexibility for different hybrid systems, accurate rules compliance, and long-term support.
- Tire updates came first; hybrids would follow in September.
