Yas Marina is two long straights and a lot of slow corners. Chicanes, a hairpin, and a last sector of 90 degree turns around the hotel.
So the car has to do three things: brake hard, change direction quickly and put the power down. This setup is built around those three. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2019 Abu Dhabi setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 4 | 6 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 2 | 2 |
| Anti-roll bar | 8 | 9 |
| Ride height | 2 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 23.4 psi | 21.1 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| Differential off throttle | 70% |
| Brake pressure | 87% |
| Front brake bias | 54% |
In F1 2019 the wings, suspension, anti-roll bars and ride height 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 2019 setups. Use it as a base and adjust it with the table further down.
Why this setup works at Yas Marina
The lap in F1 2019 is 5.554 km with 21 corners. It is the layout the real race used until 2021, with the chicane before the hairpin and the chicane after the second straight.
The wings. 4 and 6. Medium wing. The two straights are long, so you cannot load the car up. But the last sector is slow and you need the rear to hold when you go on the throttle, so the rear wing sits two clicks above the front.
The differential. 50% on throttle and 70% off. 50% is fully open in this game. Almost every exit here is slow and tight, and an open differential lets the inside rear tyre turn without spinning both. The 70% off throttle keeps the rear calm in the big braking zones.
The brakes. 87% pressure and 54% front bias. High pressure. Only my Monaco setup runs more. The two stops after the straights are long and in a straight line, so you can use it.
The geometry and tyres. Camber -2.50 and -1.00, toe 0.05 and 0.20. All four are the least angle the menu allows. Pressures are 23.4 at the front and 21.1 at the rear. On the low side, for traction.
A stiff front bar on soft springs
The anti-roll bars are 8 and 9. The front bar is the interesting one. In the rest of my F1 2019 setups the front bar is never above 6. Here it is at 8.
A stiff front bar makes the car answer quickly when you turn the wheel. Yas Marina has three chicanes, and in a chicane the time is in how fast the car goes from one direction to the other. That is what the 8 is for.
The price is a little front grip in the long corners. There are not many of those here, so it is a good trade.
Springs are 2 and 2. Soft, so the car rides the kerbs in the chicanes and has traction on the way out.
Ride height is 2 and 4. Low at the front. You can use the flat kerbs, but stay away from the tall ones on the inside of the chicanes.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in the hotel section | Front anti-roll bar 8 to 6 | A softer front bar gives front grip |
| Wheelspin out of the hairpin | Rear wing 6 to 7 | More rear downforce helps traction |
| The rear steps out on the exits | Rear anti-roll bar 9 to 7 | A softer rear bar gives traction |
| Front tyres lock after the straights | Brake pressure 87% to 84% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| The rear moves under braking | Front brake bias 54% to 55% | More front bias settles the rear |
| The car jumps on the chicane kerbs | Front ride height 2 to 3 | More room under the floor |
| Too slow on the straights | Rear wing 6 to 5 | Less drag. Less traction in the last sector |
For a race
The last sector is one traction zone after another, so the rear tyres get hot. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear wing 6 to 7. Less wheelspin and a longer life for the rear tyres.
- Rear anti-roll bar 9 to 7. A calmer rear on the exits when the tyres are worn.
- Brake pressure 87% to 84%. A heavy car locks its fronts more easily after the straights.
- 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 brake pressure around 80%, the rear wing at 7 and the rear anti-roll bar at 7.
F1 2019 has manual ERS modes. Spend the battery out of the hairpin and out of the chicane that follows, onto the two long straights. Save in the hotel section, where you are waiting for grip anyway.
Where the lap time is at Yas Marina
- Turn 1. A 90 degree left. Brake late, use all the exit kerb. It sets your speed through the sweeps.
- The sweeps. Flat out, left and right. Keep the steering as small as you can so you do not scrub speed.
- The first chicane and the hairpin. Brake for the chicane, stay tight, then the hairpin. Do not fight for the entry. The hairpin exit leads onto the longest straight of the lap.
- The chicane after the first straight. The biggest stop and the best place to pass. Brake in a straight line and cut the first kerb, not the second.
- The chicane after the second straight. Left, right, left. Give up the first part to be straight and early on the throttle out of the last.
- The hotel section. A run of 90 degree corners. Late apex in every one. If you turn in early you wait on the exit, every time.
- The last two corners. Two rights. Carry speed into the first and be patient in the second. The exit is the start of your next lap.
If you take one thing from this page: at Yas Marina you win on the exits. Slow in, straighten the car, then full throttle.
Abu Dhabi in 2019
The 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was round 21 of 21, the last race of the season, on 1 December over 55 laps. Lewis Hamilton took pole position in 1:34.779.
Hamilton won from pole and set the fastest lap, a 1:39.283 on lap 53. Max Verstappen was second. He lost the place to Charles Leclerc on the first lap and took it back on lap 32, into turn 8. Leclerc finished third.
One thing made this race different. DRS was switched off for every car until lap 18, because of a server crash. Valtteri Bottas started from the back of the grid that day, so he had to do the first part of his recovery without it.
More F1 2019 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2019 setups page. Abu Dhabi is round 21, the last one. The round before it is the F1 2019 Brazil setup. The season starts with the F1 2019 Australia setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2018 Abu Dhabi setup, my F1 2020 Abu Dhabi setup and my F1 25 Abu Dhabi setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next, and F1 25 has the newer layout.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2019 setup for Abu Dhabi?
Front wing 4, rear wing 6, differential 50% on throttle and 70% off, suspension 2 and 2, anti-roll bars 8 and 9, ride height 2 and 4, brake pressure 87% with 54% front bias, and tyres at 23.4 and 21.1 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Yas Marina in F1 2019?
4 at the front and 6 at the rear for time trial. For a race I would run 7 at the rear for traction in the last sector.
Can I use this Abu Dhabi setup in a race?
Yes, with small changes. Rear wing to 7, rear anti-roll bar to 7 and brake pressure to 84%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would lower the brake pressure to around 80% and run the rear wing and the rear anti-roll bar at 7.
Why is the front anti-roll bar so stiff?
For the chicanes. A stiff front bar makes the car change direction faster. If you get understeer in the hotel section, go down to 6.
Where can I overtake at Yas Marina in F1 2019?
Into the chicane at the end of the first long straight, with DRS. The chicane after the second straight is the second place.
How long is Yas Marina in F1 2019?
5.554 km with 21 corners. The real race is 55 laps.