Reiza Studio’s phenomenal sim racing title Automobilista 2 was just gilded with a 70s version of the Nordslingan, and before we’ve even had time to squeeze a little bit of the historical draw, the studio has announced that they intend to roll out the Circuit de Barcelona (Catalunya) on June 4th. We at the editorial office are very much looking forward to this and hope that the rumor that the next (new) track to be released will be Mugello Raceway.
“Following a long stint of time travelling, for the next release the track team is back to modern days for a very modern racetrack – Circuit de Barcelona is expected to arrive with a late May update, just in time for the Spanish GP. Barcelona will be the bonus sixth Premium Track we alluded to in previous dev updates, and as a standalone DLC the price is estimated at US$ 6.99 / 5.99€ – it will however also be included free of extra charge to the 2020-2022 Season Pass and to the Premium Track Pack. A staple on the F1 calendar since 1991, the Barcelona circuit has been a favorite among teams to test and develop their cars due to its mix of long mid and high-speed corners, making it an ideal testbed to gauge and develop their aerodynamic performance. For the 2023 Grand Prix the track is reverting to the pre-2007 layout, opting out of the unpopular tight chicane at the end of the lap for the two ultra-fast right-handers that cars used to tackle back in the day before entering the long 1km long home straight.
Barcelona will become the tenth modern GP circuit in AMS2, which means we are edging close to having 50% of the 2023 calendar being represented in the sim; in terms of layout accuracy, that ratio is sustained virtually for all of the last 40 years of the sport. By the end of 2023, those figures will be at or above 50% over 50 years, with similar strike ratios for many of the most prestigious classes in motorsports history, from Group C to GT1 on to modern IMSA and GT World Challenge – not bad for a sim supposedly focused on Brazilian motorsports!”
