MicroProse and Geoff Crammond Reunite to Revive Grand Prix Simulation Series

I’m a sim racer and amateur racer with a passion for Motorsport, good racecraft and the technical and setup aspect of sim racing.

MicroProse has announced a reunion with legendary developer Geoff Crammond to bring back the Grand Prix simulation series that defined racing games in the 1990s. The four classic titles will arrive on Steam in 2026 under the new Geoff Crammond Racing brand (GCR1-GCR4), preserving Crammond’s groundbreaking physics engine whilst adding Steam Workshop support for community content.

For those unfamiliar with the name, Geoff Crammond created some of the most technically advanced racing simulators of the 1990s and early 2000s. His Formula One Grand Prix series pioneered 3D polygon graphics, real-time physics simulation, and telemetry analysis – features that modern sims now take for granted.

The Original Grand Prix Legacy

The original Formula One Grand Prix launched in 1991 for PC, Amiga, and Atari ST. What made it remarkable wasn’t just the 25 frames per second it achieved on period hardware – impressive enough – but Crammond’s approach to physics simulation. A former defense industry systems engineer with a physics degree, he programmed the entire engine in assembler, giving him complete control over car behaviour, slipstream effects, and curb contact.

Grand Prix 2 arrived in 1996 with an official FIA license, representing the 1994 F1 season with real teams and drivers. It introduced texture-mapping and SVGA graphics whilst expanding the car setup options. What I’ve read from the community over the years is that GP2’s telemetry system was genuinely ahead of its time – you could analyse car dynamics in ways that wouldn’t become standard until much later.

The series continued with Grand Prix 3 (2000) and Grand Prix 4 (2002), the latter introducing dynamic weather systems with drying racing lines and heat haze effects. GP4 became particularly beloved by the modding community, with enthusiasts keeping it alive for over two decades through custom tracks and updated car models.

What’s Coming in 2026

The rebranded Geoff Crammond Racing series will preserve the core simulation engine, physics systems, and polygonal graphics from the originals. MicroProse is committed to maintaining what made these games special – the “hard but fun” challenge that separated them from arcade racers.

The key addition is Steam Workshop integration. Players will be able to create and share custom tracks, cars, liveries, and teams. For a series with such an active modding community, this feels like the right approach – giving the community official tools rather than trying to modernise the games beyond recognition.

The name change to Geoff Crammond Racing reflects the licensing – Electronic Arts and Codemasters now hold exclusive F1 licenses. The original GP games from 1996 to 2002 were officially licensed, featuring real F1 seasons with authentic liveries and driver names. The new GCR series will use fictional branding to sidestep these restrictions, though the track layouts and car characteristics should remain faithful to the originals.

Why This Matters for Sim Racing

Crammond’s Grand Prix series influenced every serious racing simulator that followed. The configurable driving assists allowed newcomers to learn gradually whilst experienced drivers could disable all aids for the full simulation experience. The deep car setup menus, realistic AI behaviour, and telemetry analysis became benchmarks that modern titles still reference.

These games were hard to play! No racing line, no assists, and a physics model that punished mistakes. But that’s what created the dedicated community that’s kept GP2 and GP4 alive through mods for over twenty years. The fact that MicroProse is preserving the original simulation technology rather than “modernising” it into something easier shows they understand what made these games special.

MicroProse has confirmed this is a long-term partnership with Crammond, hinting at further announcements beyond the four re-releases. Whether that means new entries in the GCR series remains to be seen, but having Crammond’s name attached suggests any new development would maintain the simulation depth the series is known for.

Availability and Wishlist

All four Geoff Crammond Racing titles are now available to wishlist on Steam ahead of their 2026 release. The games will be released as GCR1, GCR2, GCR3, and GCR4, with MicroProse yet to announce specific launch dates or pricing.

For sim racing enthusiasts who grew up with these games, this represents a chance to experience them properly on modern hardware without the technical hurdles of running DOS games. For newcomers, it’s an opportunity to understand where many current simulation features originated. The Steam Workshop support should extend the lifespan considerably, giving the community proper tools to create the content they’ve been making unofficially for decades.

Source: MicroProse Official Announcement | TechSpot