F1 2019 Game: Singapore Grand Prix qualifying race setup guide


Perhaps the most challenging and difficult circuit in F1 games, the 23 corners of the Singapore Grand Prix is an almighty test for anyone that will catch out the unprepared.

The challenge of the circuit is shown its list of winners which comprises just four names, all of whom have won the Drivers' World Championship in their career.

The Marina Bay track has changed slightly during its 11-year stint on the calendar, but by and large it is still the same long blast through the exotic city.

With so many corners it can be a killer on tyres, making your setup all the more important to race pace. So just how should set the car up for this maze of a circuit?

Aerodynamics

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup aerodynamics
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As with any track, you want as little wing angle as you can possibly bear. Unlike Monaco you can't just throw on as max wing because there are some straights here and you need the speed to make the most of overtaking opportunities.

As a result we have gone with a 8-10 angle to provide enough turn-in performance and rear stability while also keeping us competitive down the straights.

Transmission

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup transmission
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Traction is vital here with all the slow corners. While the Singapore track errs on the side of being rear-limited, track position is so important that we can't go too protective with our transmission settings or we run the risk of being in the middle of the pack after qualifying.

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As a result, we have our favourite 65% on-throttle differential. This keeps the rear from snapping when you put your foot down and protects them when accelerating on kerbing, something you shouldn't do too often but will find yourself doing here a fair bit.

The off-throttle differential of 100% keeps the rears rotating in sync and makes the rear more stable on corner exit.

Suspension Geometry

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup suspension geometry
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This is always the hardest part of the setup to get right. The suspension geometry impacts how much cornering responsiveness, stability, and grip the car has but it can be very subtle and hard to feel, especially if you aren't yet getting your line and pace consistent.

It is easy to melt the tyres if you use the classic time trial setting of camber all the way to the right and toe all the way left. That setup might give you pole position, but it will also force you to make three pitstops at a minimum.

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Better to ensure you can do a one stop by protecting your tyres here. By moving the front camber to -3.30 and the rears to -1.80 we produce more contact patch when cornering, which helps spread heat better at the price of ultimate pace.

With toe we add a bit more to the fronts, going to 0.11 to add some responsiveness on turn-in, while the rears are moved to 0.41 to add stability on exit.

Suspension

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup suspension
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Singapore is all about taking liberties with the kerbing and riding the bumps as much as possible to create superior entry and exit angles. As a result we are running the super-soft 1-1 suspension so the car doesn't become skittish when we take too much kerb.

READ MORE: How to master racing without traction control

The anti-roll bars are set to 7-9. This relative stiffness keeps the car responsive through changes of direction and it makes it harder for the rear to step out on us when we exit a corner, though it can stress the rears a little more so if you find the wear too much to bear then you can bring this setting down a touch.

Ride height is set to the relatively massive 5-5. This helps the aero bite but also keeps the car from bottoming out over kerbs and making life too tough when cornering. If you are too slow down the main straight though you should lower this to 4-4.

Brakes

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup brakes
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Brake pressure is set to 87% to allow us the most stopping power possible without creating too much heat. If you don't use the ABS assist then you'll need to lower this a bit to avoid lockups.

Brake bias is set to 58% as this lowers stopping distance slightly while again taking some heat away from the rears.

Tyres

F1 2019 Singapore Grand Prix setup tyres
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Tyre pressures here are all about preserving life in the rubber and ensuring they survive a proper stint. The fronts are set to 22.6 psi with the rears at 20.7 psi. This aids traction and dissipates heat more evenly, and we don't hit high speeds frequently enough to feel the detriment there.

READ MORE: F1 2019 track guides

So that's our setup for the challenging Singapore Grand Prix. This track is one racers usually skip in career mode and avoid online, but with our setup you can start to feel confident around the circuit while producing enough pace to challenge for points and keep your title hopes alive!

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