Baku is two tracks in one lap. A tight old city section where the road is barely wider than two cars, then a flat out run of more than 2 km to the finish line. You cannot set the car up for both, so you pick one. This setup picks the straight.
This is the F1 2018 Baku setup on this site: front wing 1, rear wing 4, a locked differential on throttle and the softest springs in the game. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2018 Baku setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 4 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 |
| Anti-roll bar | 2 | 3 |
| Ride height | 1 | 2 |
| Tyre pressure | 23.0 psi | 21.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 100% |
| Differential off throttle | 72% |
| Brake pressure | 100% |
| Front brake bias | 52% |
| Ballast | 9 |
In F1 2018 the wings, suspension, anti-roll bars, ride height and ballast all use a scale from 1 to 11.
This setup was collected for the site in 2022 from a fast time trial lap, like the rest of my F1 2018 setups. Use it as a base and adjust it with the table further down.
An onboard lap of Baku in F1 2018
Watch where the car is placed in the old city and how early the throttle goes down out of turn 16. Everything after that corner is flat.
Why this setup works in Baku
The Baku City Circuit is 6.003 km long with 20 corners. Most of them are 90 degree turns between walls. Then, from turn 16 to the braking point for turn 1, you do not lift at all.
The wings. 1 and 4. The front wing is at the minimum and the rear is low. On a normal track that would be undriveable. Here every corner in the first half of the lap is slow, and in a slow corner the wings do very little anyway. Grip at 80 km/h comes from the tyres and the suspension. So you take the wing off, win on the straight, and get the slow speed grip back in another way.
The differential. 100% on throttle, fully locked. Out of a 90 degree corner you want both rear wheels to push together, and a locked differential does that. The car has to be straight when you go to full throttle. If it is not, the rear steps out, and in Baku there is a wall waiting. Off throttle it is 72%, which lets the car turn in a little more freely when you lift.
The geometry. Camber is -2.50 and -1.00 and toe is 0.05 and 0.20. Those are the lowest values the menu allows. Less camber puts more of the tyre on the road for braking and traction, and less toe means less drag on the straight. Both fit this lap.
The softest car in the game
This is the part of the setup that stands out. Suspension is 1 at the front and 1 at the rear. Anti-roll bars are 2 and 3. Ride height is 1 and 2.
Soft springs and soft bars are how you get the slow corner grip back after you took the wings off. The car rolls and pitches, each tyre keeps its load, and it rides the kerbs in the chicane at turn 5 and turn 6 without jumping. The price is a car that is slow to change direction. In Baku that is a fair trade, because there are almost no quick changes of direction outside the old city.
The ride height is the risky line. With the car this low and the springs this soft, the floor can touch the ground under braking or over a kerb. A low car is a fast car on a long straight, so I would keep it if the car stays stable. If it bottoms out, go to 2 and 3.
Then the brakes. Pressure is 100%, the maximum. It gives you the shortest stop into turn 1 and turn 3, and it locks a front wheel the moment you ask for too much. Front bias is 52%, a little to the rear, which helps the car rotate into the 90 degree corners.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Front tyres lock into turn 1 or turn 3 | Brake pressure from 100% to 90% | The pedal gets easier to modulate |
| The rear steps out under braking | Front brake bias from 52% to 55% | More of the braking moves to the front |
| Wheelspin out of the slow corners | On throttle differential from 100% to 80% | The rear wheels can turn at different speeds |
| The floor hits the ground | Ride height from 1 and 2 to 2 and 3 | More room under the car |
| The car is lazy in the turn 5 and turn 6 chicane | Front anti-roll bar from 2 to 5 | The nose answers sooner |
| The car pushes wide in the old city | Front wing from 1 to 2 | A little more front grip |
| The rear is loose in turn 13 and turn 14 | Rear wing from 4 to 5 | More load on the rear at speed |
For a race
- Lower the on throttle differential to 75% or 80%. A locked rear axle is hard on the rear tyres over a stint.
- Take the brake pressure down to about 90%. With race fuel the stops are longer and a lock up is a flat spot you carry to the pit stop.
- Raise the ride height to 2 and 3. A heavy car sits lower.
- Keep the wings. Every overtake in Baku happens on the main straight, and you do not want to be the one with the drag.
- F1 2018 was the first game of the series with manual ERS modes. Save the battery in the old city and spend it from turn 16 to turn 1.
- On a pad, start with the differential at 70% and the brake pressure at 85%. A trigger is a blunt tool for a locked differential and full brake pressure.
Where the lap time is in Baku
- Turn 1. The biggest stop of the lap, a 90 degree left at the end of the long run. Brake in a straight line and do not turn in until the car has slowed. Carrying too much speed here ends in the escape road.
- Turn 2 and turn 3. Turn 2 is another 90 degree left and it leads onto a long straight, so the exit matters. Turn 3 at the end of that straight is the second big stop.
- Turn 5 and turn 6. A quick chicane. Use the kerbs, the soft springs let you, and get straight early for the short run to turn 7.
- Turn 8 to turn 12. The old city. Turn 8 is the narrow left by the castle walls, and the road climbs and twists after it. There is no lap time to find here by being brave. Be tidy, stay off the walls and think about the exit of turn 12.
- Turn 13 and turn 14. Fast and downhill. With a rear wing at 4 the car moves around here, so be smooth with the steering.
- Turn 15. A downhill left with a hard stop. It is easy to lock the inside front. Brake a little early and let the car turn.
- Turn 16. The most important corner of the lap. It is a slow left, and after it you are flat all the way to turn 1. Give up the entry, turn late, and go to full throttle once with the car straight.
Baku in 2018
The 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was round 4 of the season, on 29 April. Sebastian Vettel took pole position for Ferrari with a 1:41.498. Lewis Hamilton won the race for Mercedes over 51 laps, Kimi Raikkonen was second for Ferrari and Sergio Perez finished third for Force India. Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap, a 1:45.149.
More F1 2018 setups
Baku is round 4 of the 2018 calendar. The China setup comes before it and the Spain setup after it. For the other street tracks of the game, see the Monaco setup and the Singapore setup, which sit at the other end of the wing scale. Every track is listed on the F1 2018 setups page.
If you play a later game, the track is the same and the car is not: see my F1 2019 Baku setup and my F1 25 Azerbaijan setup.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2018 setup for Baku?
Front wing 1, rear wing 4, differential 100% on throttle and 72% off, suspension 1 and 1, anti-roll bars 2 and 3, ride height 1 and 2, brake pressure 100% with 52% front bias, and tyres at 23.0 and 21.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run in Baku in F1 2018?
1 at the front and 4 at the rear for time trial. If the car is too loose in the fast corners before turn 15, go to 2 and 5.
Can I use this Baku setup in a race?
Yes, with a few changes. It is saved with 10 kg of fuel. Lower the on throttle differential to about 80%, the brake pressure to about 90%, and raise the ride height one click at each end.
Does this setup work with a controller?
It does, with a calmer differential and brake pedal. Start with 70% on throttle and 85% brake pressure, then work back up if the car feels easy.
Why is the suspension at 1 and 1?
With wings this low, the grip in slow corners has to come from the suspension. Soft springs keep the tyres loaded and let the car ride the kerbs. The cost is a slower change of direction.
Why is the brake pressure at 100%?
It gives the shortest braking distance into turn 1 and turn 3, where you arrive at top speed. If you lock the fronts, lower it in steps of 5%.
Where do I lose the most time in Baku?
Usually on the exit of turn 16, because every km/h you lose there you lose all the way to turn 1, and in the old city by touching a wall.