At the end of August 2025, iRacing and Cosworth announced a new strategic partnership that brings Pi Toolbox, Cosworth’s high-end data analysis tool used in real-world motorsport, directly into the iRacing ecosystem. It’s free to all active iRacing users and designed to read iRacing’s telemetry files natively.
Some of the most interesting promises include:
- Live remote telemetry for drivers, coaches, and engineers during sessions.
- Custom templates/workbooks and advanced visualization tools tailored for sim use.
- New competition formats under the Cosworth brand—including the “Cosworth Cup” series, and series in iRacing Arcade.
What’s Already Live vs What’s Coming
| Feature | Live Now | Coming Later / Soon |
|---|---|---|
| Free access to Pi Toolbox for active iRacing users | ✅ | |
Native reading of iRacing .IBT telemetry files | ✅ | |
| Pre-built workbooks and visualizations | ✅ (rolling out now) | |
| Live remote telemetry (during sessions) | 🔜 Coming later in 2025 | |
| Branded series (Cosworth Cup, Arcade, etc.) | Partial – Cosworth Cup launches in September; Arcade branding to follow |
So yes: many of the core tools are already functional or are being made available immediately. The “live telemetry” features and some of the series/branding extensions are the parts that still need time.
How It Works & Why It Matters
- No more converters: Pi Toolbox reads
.IBTfiles directly, cutting out the need for awkward third-party tools. - Pro-tier toolset for all: Cosworth’s platform is trusted by real-world motorsport teams like IndyCar and WEC. Now sim racers can use the same analysis environment.
- Collaboration & coaching: With live remote telemetry, engineers, coaches, and teammates will be able to view driver data during a session, enabling real-time feedback and strategic decisions.
Things to Be Aware Of
- Not all features are live yet: Live remote telemetry is still in development and expected later this year.
- Learning curve: Even with pre-built templates, telemetry analysis is complex. Racers will need time to learn what matters.
- Comparisons with existing tools: Platforms like VRS are already widely used, so adoption may depend on usability and flexibility.
- Hardware performance: Deep telemetry and real-time streaming can be resource-intensive; weaker PCs may feel the load.
What You Should Do If You Want to Try It
- Make sure you have an active iRacing subscription.
- Download or update Pi Toolbox to the latest version that includes native iRacing support.
- Export or locate your
.IBTfiles and start with the pre-built workbooks to compare laps and inputs. - When live telemetry launches, test it with a coach or teammates for real-time collaboration.
- Keep an eye out for the Cosworth Cup and other branded competitions rolling out in September and beyond.
Why This Is a Big Shift
This isn’t just another feature — it’s a major change in how simulation and performance data are shared, analyzed, and used. For many sim racers, it opens the door to professional-grade tools, faster learning, more strategy, and a bridge between virtual and real-world racing.
TL;DR
- Cosworth’s Pi Toolbox is now an official iRacing telemetry platform, free for all users.
- Core features (IBT file support, templates) are live now; live remote telemetry comes later in 2025.
- It democratizes access to pro-level tools and adds new competition formats like the Cosworth Cup.
