Yas Marina in F1 2018 is the old layout: 5.554 km and 21 corners. A quick first sector, two long straights with a chicane at the end of each, and a slow last sector around the hotel that is mostly 90 degree corners.
This F1 2018 Abu Dhabi setup runs wings at 1 and 5, the differential fully open on throttle and a very soft car. Front springs at 1, anti-roll bars at 4 and 3. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2018 Abu Dhabi setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 5 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 2 |
| Anti-roll bar | 4 | 3 |
| Ride height | 4 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 22.6 psi | 21.1 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| Differential off throttle | 70% |
| Brake pressure | 89% |
| Front brake bias | 53% |
| Ballast | 9 |
Here is the lap the setup comes from:
Why this setup works at Yas Marina
The lap has three different parts. Sector one is quick, with the flat out left and right sweeps after Turn 1. Sector two is two long straights, each one ending in a heavy braking zone and a chicane. Sector three is slow and stop start: one short corner after another, around and under the hotel.
The wings. Front 1, rear 5. The two straights decide a lot of the lap, so the front wing is at the minimum and the rear is in the middle. A rear wing of 5 is enough to keep the rear planted through the sweeps and under braking. In the slow corners of the last sector the wings do very little anyway. There, grip comes from the springs and the bars.
The differential. 50% on throttle, the minimum. The last sector is ten slow exits in a row, and in most of them you pick up the throttle before the car is straight. An open differential lets the inside rear wheel turn slower than the outside one, so the car rotates on the power and does not push wide. Off throttle it is 70%.
The geometry. Camber and toe are at the least angle the menu allows: -2.50 and -1.00, 0.05 and 0.20. Less toe is less drag on the straights. Less camber puts more tyre on the ground for braking and traction, which is most of what this lap asks for.
A soft car for the kerbs
Springs are 1 at the front and 2 at the rear. Anti-roll bars are 4 and 3. Ride height is 4 and 4.
A front spring of 1 is the softest the game has. At Yas Marina the time is in the chicanes, and the quick way through a chicane is over the kerbs. A soft front end takes the kerb and stays on the ground. A stiff one jumps, and then you wait for the car to land before you can turn or accelerate.
The soft bars do the same job for traction. With 4 and 3 the car leans a bit more and all four tyres stay loaded out of the slow corners. The price is a car that is lazy in the quick change of direction in sector one. It is a price worth paying, because that part is nearly flat anyway.
Ride height at 4 keeps the floor off the kerbs with springs this soft.
Tyres are at 22.6 psi front and 21.1 rear.
For the opposite approach, look at my F1 2018 Japan setup. Suzuka is all fast corners, and the car is set up around the aero instead.
Brakes
Brake pressure is 89% with 53% at the front.
There are three big stops in the lap: the hairpin before the first straight and the chicane at the end of each straight. With a front wing of 1 the front tyres have little load on them once the speed comes down, so full pressure locks them at the end of the braking zone. 89% gives you a margin. The bias at 53% is quite far back, and it helps the car rotate into the chicanes.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The fronts lock at the end of the straights | Brake pressure 89% to 85% | Less peak pressure when the load comes off |
| The rear steps out under braking | Front brake bias 53% to 55% | Takes braking work off the rear |
| Understeer in the last sector | Front wing 1 to 3 | More front grip, with a little more drag |
| The car is lazy in the sweeps of sector one | Front anti-roll bar 4 to 6 | A stiffer front bar sharpens the change of direction |
| The rear slides in the fast corners | Rear wing 5 to 6 | More rear load at speed |
| Wheelspin out of the slow corners | Rear anti-roll bar 3 to 1 | The softest rear bar gives the most traction |
| The car bottoms on the kerbs | Ride height 4 to 5 at both ends | More room under the floor |
For a race
The real race is 55 laps and the last sector is hard on the rear tyres. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Front wing 1 to 3. With fuel on board the car understeers through the hotel section.
- Rear wing 5 to 6. It protects the rear tyres in the traction zones.
- Brake pressure 89% to 85%. Three big stops a lap, every lap.
- Fuel. The 10 kg is a time trial number. In a race the game sets the load for the distance.
On a pad, I would keep the differential where it is and lower the brake pressure to 85%. The open differential already makes the throttle forgiving.
In F1 2018 you manage the ERS yourself. Deploy out of the hairpin for the first straight and out of the chicane for the second one. Recover in the last sector, where you are traction limited and the extra power only spins the tyres.
Where the lap time is at Yas Marina
- Turn 1. A 90 degree left. Brake late, use the exit kerb, and you are flat through the sweeps that follow.
- The sweeps. Flat out on low fuel. Keep the steering smooth so you do not scrub speed before the chicane.
- The first chicane and the hairpin. Left, right, then the slow left hairpin. The hairpin exit leads onto the longest straight of the lap, so it matters more than the chicane. Be slow in and early on the throttle.
- The chicane after the first straight. The best passing place. Brake in a straight line, take the first kerb, and stay tidy. The second straight starts here.
- The chicane after the second straight. Left, right, left. Use the kerbs. The soft front springs are in the car for this.
- The hotel section. A run of short right handers and then lefts under the hotel bridge. Every corner sets up the next one. If you slide in one, you lose time in three.
- The last two corners. Two rights onto the pit straight. The exit of the last one counts for the whole straight.
Abu Dhabi in 2018
The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the last round of the season, round 21 of 21, on 25 November. Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Mercedes with a 1:34.794 and won the race over 55 laps. Sebastian Vettel finished second for Ferrari and set the fastest lap, a 1:40.867 on lap 54. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull.
It was Fernando Alonso's last grand prix before he came back in 2021, and Kimi Raikkonen's last race for Ferrari.
The circuit was changed in 2021. The chicane before the hairpin went, a long banked corner replaced four of the slow ones, and the lap came down to 5.281 km and 16 corners. F1 2018 has the original track.
More F1 2018 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2018 setups page. The round before Abu Dhabi is the F1 2018 Brazil setup. If you are starting a new season, round one is the F1 2018 Australia setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2017 Abu Dhabi setup, my F1 2019 Abu Dhabi setup and my F1 25 Abu Dhabi setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2018 setup for Abu Dhabi?
For time trial: front wing 1, rear wing 5, differential 50% on throttle and 70% off, suspension 1 and 2, anti-roll bars 4 and 3, ride height 4 and 4, brake pressure 89% with 53% front bias, tyres at 22.6 and 21.1 psi, ballast 9.
What wing levels should I run at Yas Marina in F1 2018?
1 at the front and 5 at the rear for one lap. For a race, 3 and 6 look after the tyres in the last sector.
Can I use this Abu Dhabi setup in a race?
Yes, with small changes. Front wing to 3, rear wing to 6 and brake pressure to 85%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
It does. The open differential and the soft car are both easy on a pad. Lower the brake pressure to 85%.
Why are the front springs at 1?
Because the lap time is in the chicanes and you have to use the kerbs. The softest front springs keep the tyres on the ground over them.
How long is Yas Marina in F1 2018?
5.554 km with 21 corners. That layout was used until 2021. The real 2018 race was 55 laps, and the pole lap was a 1:34.794.