The Hungaroring has one straight. The rest is corners, one after the other, with no time to rest between them.
So the setup is simple to explain. All the downforce you can get. Wings 8 and 11, a soft front and a rear that is tied down. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2019 Hungary setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 8 | 11 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.08 | 0.41 |
| Suspension | 1 | 4 |
| Anti-roll bar | 6 | 11 |
| Ride height | 2 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 23.0 psi | 21.1 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 60% |
| Differential off throttle | 65% |
| Brake pressure | 85% |
| 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.
The lap on board
Why this setup works at the Hungaroring
The lap is 4.381 km with 14 corners. Most of them are medium speed and long. You spend more of the lap turning than going straight, so drag costs you very little and grip gives you a lot.
The wings. 8 and 11. Only my Monaco setup has more wing in total. The rear is at the maximum of the scale. The front at 8 is there because the long corners punish understeer. If the front slides in turn 2, in turn 5 or in the last corner, you wait and wait before you can go back to the throttle.
The differential. 60% on throttle and 65% off. A bit more locked than open on the way out. The exits here are not from walking pace. They are from third and fourth gear, with the car still loaded, and a little lock helps both rear tyres push. Off throttle at 65% keeps the rear calm when you lift in the middle of a fast sequence.
The brakes. 85% pressure and 54% front bias. There is one big stop, turn 1. In most of the others you brake while the car is already turning, and a bias a little further back helps it rotate.
The geometry and tyres. Camber is -2.50 and -1.00, the least angle the menu allows. Toe is the opposite. 0.08 at the front and 0.41 at the rear. No other setup in my list has this much rear toe. It makes the rear very stable in the long corners, and on a track with one straight you do not pay much for the extra drag. Pressures are 23.0 and 21.1 psi.
A soft front and a rear that rotates
Front springs at 1, the minimum. Rear at 4. My Bahrain setup runs the same pair. A soft front gives the front tyres grip when you turn in, and you turn in fourteen times a lap here.
The anti-roll bars are 6 at the front and 11 at the rear. 11 is the maximum. With this much rear wing and rear toe, the rear has more grip than the front. The stiff rear bar takes some of it away in the middle of the corner, and that is what lets the car rotate.
Ride height is 2 and 4. The front low, the rear higher, so the car sits nose down and the front wing works harder. It is enough for the kerbs at the chicane if you do not take too much of them.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in turn 2 or the last corner | Front wing 8 to 9 | More front load in the long corners |
| The rear snaps in turns 8 to 11 | Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9 | A softer rear bar gives the rear more grip |
| Wheelspin out of turn 1 | On throttle differential 60% to 55% | A more open differential is gentler on the inside rear tyre |
| The car jumps on the chicane kerbs | Front ride height 2 to 3 | More room under the floor |
| Front tyres lock into turn 1 | Brake pressure 85% to 82% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| Slow change of direction in the chicane | Front suspension 1 to 2 | A stiffer front answers the steering faster |
| Rear tyres too hot after a few laps | Rear toe 0.41 to 0.35 | Less toe drags the tyre less across the road |
For a race
The rear tyres are the problem at the Hungaroring. They work in every corner and they never get a straight long enough to cool down. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear toe 0.41 to 0.35. Less heat in the rear tyres.
- Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9. The car is calmer when the tyres are worn.
- On throttle differential 60% to 55%. Less wheelspin with a heavy car.
- Fuel. The 10 kg is a time trial number. In a race the game sets the load for the distance.
I would not touch the wings. You will be slow on the straight and that is fine. Nobody passes you in the corners here.
On a pad, I would go to brake pressure around 80%, the rear anti-roll bar at 9 and the on throttle differential at 55%.
F1 2019 has manual ERS modes. There is only one place to use the battery to attack or defend: the main straight. Save in the middle of the lap and spend it out of the last corner. You pass into turn 1.
Where the lap time is at the Hungaroring
- Turn 1. A long downhill right hairpin. Brake hard, let the brake go slowly as you turn and take a late apex. The exit matters more than the entry.
- Turn 2. A long downhill left. Be patient with the throttle. If you get it right, turn 3 is flat.
- Turn 4. Fast, uphill and blind. You turn in before you see the exit. Pick a mark and trust it.
- Turn 5. A long right. Keep the car tight in the middle so you can open the steering early.
- The chicane, turns 6 and 7. Use the first kerb, stay off the second. A clean exit counts more than a brave entry.
- Turns 8 to 11. One rhythm. Each exit is the entry of the next corner, so a mistake in turn 8 follows you all the way to turn 11.
- Turns 12 and 13. Two slow corners. Brake in a straight line for 12, and wait in 13 until the car points up the road.
- Turn 14. A long right onto the straight. Late apex, early throttle. This exit is your speed all the way down to turn 1.
If you take one thing from this page: do not overdrive the entries. At the Hungaroring a corner taken too fast costs you in the next two as well.
Hungary in 2019
The 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix was round 12 of 21, on 4 August, over 70 laps. Max Verstappen took pole position in 1:14.572. It was his first pole in Formula 1.
Verstappen led most of the race with Lewis Hamilton right behind him. Mercedes then stopped Hamilton a second time, at the end of lap 48, for medium tyres. He caught Verstappen on the fresher tyres and passed him with four laps to go. Verstappen finished second and set the fastest lap, a 1:17.103 on lap 69. Sebastian Vettel was third, just ahead of Charles Leclerc. Everyone outside the top four was lapped.
More F1 2019 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2019 setups page. Hungary is round 12. The round before it is the F1 2019 Germany setup and the next one is the F1 2019 Spa setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2018 Hungary setup, my F1 2020 Hungary setup and my F1 25 Hungary setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2019 setup for Hungary?
Front wing 8, rear wing 11, differential 60% on throttle and 65% off, suspension 1 and 4, anti-roll bars 6 and 11, ride height 2 and 4, brake pressure 85% with 54% front bias, and tyres at 23.0 and 21.1 psi.
What wing levels should I run at the Hungaroring in F1 2019?
8 at the front and 11 at the rear, for time trial and for a race. The track has one straight, so downforce is worth more than top speed.
Can I use this Hungary setup in a race?
Yes, with small changes. Lower the rear toe to 0.35, soften the rear anti-roll bar to 9 and open the on throttle differential to 55%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would lower the brake pressure to around 80%, soften the rear anti-roll bar to 9 and open the on throttle differential to 55%.
Why is the rear toe so high in this setup?
For stability in the long corners. More rear toe keeps the rear in line. It costs a little speed on the straight and puts more heat in the tyres.
Where can I overtake at the Hungaroring in F1 2019?
Into turn 1, at the end of the main straight with DRS. Turn 2 is the second option if you get a better exit from turn 1.
How long is the Hungaroring in F1 2019?
4.381 km with 14 corners. The real race is 70 laps.