Monza is simple to describe and hard to do well. Four long straights, three chicanes and three real corners. Most of the lap you are at full throttle, so the setup has one job: get out of the way on the straights and still stop for the chicanes.
This F1 2018 Monza setup runs front wing 1 and rear wing 4, with the softest springs and the stiffest anti-roll bars in the menu. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2018 Monza setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 4 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 |
| Anti-roll bar | 11 | 11 |
| Ride height | 5 | 5 |
| Tyre pressure | 23.0 psi | 21.1 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 100% |
| Differential off throttle | 80% |
| Brake pressure | 82% |
| Front brake bias | 52% |
| Ballast | 9 |
Here is the lap the setup comes from:
Why this setup works at Monza
The lap is 5.793 km with 11 corners. The pit straight, the run through Curva Grande, the run from Lesmo to Ascari and the back straight to the Parabolica are all flat out. Every click of wing you carry costs you on all four.
The wings. Front 1, rear 4. The front is at the minimum. The rear at 4 is there for three places: the two Lesmo corners, Ascari and the Parabolica. Go lower at the rear and you gain on the straights, but the car gets nervous under braking and in the Parabolica. For one lap, 4 is a good trade.
The differential. 100% on throttle, 80% off. Fully locked on the power. Out of the chicanes you are in a low gear and almost straight, and a locked differential drives both rear wheels the same, so the car goes forward with very little wasted wheelspin on one side. The cost is understeer if you go to the throttle while you are still turning. In the Lesmos and the Parabolica, wait a moment longer. Off throttle, 80% keeps the rear in line when you brake from top speed.
The geometry. Camber -2.50 and -1.00, toe 0.05 and 0.20. The least angle the menu allows. That means the least drag from the tyres and the best contact patch for braking and traction, which is most of what you do at Monza.
Softest springs, stiffest bars
This is the unusual part. Springs at 1 and 1, the softest setting. Anti-roll bars at 11 and 11, the maximum.
The soft springs are for the kerbs. The fast line through the Rettifilo, the Roggia and Ascari goes over them, and a soft car lands and keeps going. A stiff car bounces, and a bounce at the exit of a chicane costs you all the way down the next straight.
The stiff bars do the other half of the job. They stop the car from rolling, so it changes direction quickly in the chicanes, left to right in one move. You get the sharp response from the bars and the kerb riding from the springs.
Ride height is 5 and 5, with no rake. The front is higher than on my Spa and Hockenheim setups. With springs at 1 the car moves a lot, and it needs the room over the kerbs and at the end of the straights.
Compare it with my F1 2018 Spa setup, the other low wing track: there the bars are at 2 and 2, because Spa is about fast corners and Monza is about chicanes.
Brakes
Brake pressure is 82% with 52% at the front. Both numbers are low, and it is because of the wings.
At Monza you brake from the highest speed of the year with the least downforce of the year. As the car slows down, the little downforce it has goes away and the front tyres lock. Lower pressure makes that easier to control. The bias at 52% moves work to the rear, which also helps the car turn into the chicanes.
Watch the rear with 52%. If it steps out when you brake and turn into the Roggia, go to 54%.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The rear moves in the Parabolica or Ascari | Rear wing 4 to 5 | More rear downforce in the fast corners |
| Understeer on the exit of the Lesmos | On throttle differential 100% to 80% | A more open differential lets the car turn under power |
| The car does not turn into the chicanes | Front wing 1 to 2 | A little more front grip on entry |
| The rear steps out under braking | Front brake bias 52% to 54% | Less braking on the rear axle |
| Front tyres lock into the Rettifilo | Brake pressure 82% to 78% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| The car snaps in the chicanes | Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 8 | A softer rear bar gives the rear more grip in the change of direction |
| Too slow on the straights | Rear wing 4 to 3 | Less drag, with a looser rear under braking |
For a race
With fuel the braking distances get longer and the rear tyres work hard out of every chicane. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear wing 4 to 5. More stability under braking with a heavy car, and kinder to the rear tyres.
- On throttle differential 100% to 80%. A fully locked differential wears the rears over a stint.
- Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 8. More traction as the tyres go off.
- Front brake bias 52% to 54%. A safer rear when you brake in traffic and off line.
- 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 go to 70% on throttle and 5 on the rear wing. Small throttle inputs are hard on a trigger, and a locked differential with low wing does not forgive much.
In F1 2018 you manage the ERS yourself. At Monza every straight is a place to use it, so you can not use it everywhere. I would spend it on the pit straight and out of the Parabolica, where the slipstream and the pass into the Rettifilo are, and save on the run through Curva Grande.
Where the lap time is at Monza
- Rettifilo, Turns 1 and 2. The hardest stop of the lap. Brake in a straight line, take the kerb on the right, then the kerb on the left, and get the car straight before full throttle. A slow entry with a clean exit is faster than the other way round.
- Curva Grande. Flat. Keep the car to the left on the exit to open up the braking for the Roggia.
- Roggia, Turns 4 and 5. Left then right. Use both kerbs. It is easy to brake too late here, miss the second apex and lose the run to Lesmo.
- Lesmo 1. A fast right. A short brake, one or two gears down, and carry speed in. The car pushes with the front wing at 1, so turn in early.
- Lesmo 2. Tighter than it looks, and the most important exit in the middle of the lap. Be patient on the throttle, then use all the exit kerb. The run down to Ascari is long.
- Ascari. Left, right, left. Brake for the first part, then build the throttle through the second and be flat before the third. The stiff bars help here.
- Parabolica. Brake late, turn in, touch the apex early and then let the car run wide on the power, all the way out to the edge of the track. Your exit speed here is your speed across the line and into the next lap.
Monza in 2018
The 2018 Italian Grand Prix was round 14 of 21, on 2 September, one week after Spa. Kimi Räikkönen took pole position for Ferrari with a 1:19.119, an average of 263.588 km/h, at that time the fastest pole lap in Formula 1 history. Lewis Hamilton won the race for Mercedes over 53 laps, passing Räikkönen with 9 laps to go. Valtteri Bottas was third. Hamilton also set the fastest lap, a 1:22.497 on lap 30.
More F1 2018 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2018 setups page. The round before Monza is the F1 2018 Spa setup and the round after it is the F1 2018 Singapore setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2017 Monza setup, my F1 2019 Monza setup and my F1 25 Monza setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2018 setup for Monza?
For time trial: front wing 1, rear wing 4, differential 100% on throttle and 80% off, suspension 1 and 1, anti-roll bars 11 and 11, ride height 5 and 5, brake pressure 82% with 52% front bias, tyres at 23.0 and 21.1 psi, ballast 9.
What wing levels should I run at Monza in F1 2018?
1 at the front and 4 at the rear for one lap. For a race, 1 and 5 make the car more stable under braking with fuel on board.
Can I use this Monza setup in a race?
Yes, with changes. Rear wing to 5, on throttle differential to 80%, rear anti-roll bar to 8 and front brake bias to 54%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
It does. Lower the on throttle differential to 70% and raise the rear wing to 5 so the car is calmer out of the chicanes.
Why are the springs so soft and the anti-roll bars so stiff?
The soft springs let the car ride the chicane kerbs. The stiff bars stop it rolling, so it still changes direction quickly.
How long is Monza in F1 2018?
5.793 km with 11 corners. The real 2018 race was 53 laps, and the pole lap was a 1:19.119.