Spa is the longest lap in the game. Seven kilometres, with a flat out run from La Source all the way up to Les Combes, and then a middle sector full of fast corners.
You cannot have the perfect car for both. This setup runs wings 2 and 6 and gives a little away in the middle to be fast at each end. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2019 Spa setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 2 | 6 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 3 |
| Anti-roll bar | 4 | 10 |
| Ride height | 4 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 25.0 psi | 22.7 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| Differential off throttle | 67% |
| Brake pressure | 75% |
| 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 Spa
The lap is 7.004 km with 19 corners. Sector one is La Source, Eau Rouge and the Kemmel straight. Sector two is where the corners are: Les Combes, Bruxelles, Pouhon, Fagnes. Sector three is flat out again through Blanchimont down to the Bus Stop.
The wings. 2 and 6. My Mexico setup runs the same pair. The front at 2 is close to the minimum, for speed on Kemmel and through Blanchimont. The rear at 6 is what keeps the car on the road in Pouhon and at the top of Raidillon. The gap between the two means the car pushes a little in the long corners of sector two. That is the price, and it is a fair one.
The differential. 50% on throttle, fully open. There are only two slow exits, La Source and the Bus Stop, and both lead onto a long flat out run. An open differential gets you out of them without wheelspin. Off throttle it is 67%, a bit more locked than most of my setups, so the rear stays in line when you lift in Pouhon or brake downhill for Bruxelles.
The brakes. 75% pressure and 54% front bias. No other setup in my list has the pressure this low. A car with little wing has little load on the tyres when it brakes, and Spa has three big stops from high speed: La Source, Les Combes and the Bus Stop. At 75% you can hit the pedal hard without a locked wheel.
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. Less toe is less drag, and less camber keeps the tyres cooler on the straights. Pressures are 25.0 at the front and 22.7 at the rear, the highest in my list together with Mexico. A hard tyre rolls more freely, and at Spa you spend a long time in a straight line.
Room under the floor for Eau Rouge
Ride height is 4 and 4. That is high for a fast track, and the reason is one place. At the bottom of Eau Rouge the road goes from downhill to steeply uphill, and the car is pressed into the ground at full speed. If the floor touches there, the car goes light and you are a passenger up the hill.
Springs are 1 at the front and 3 at the rear, the same as my Germany setup. The soft front gives grip on turn in for La Source and the Bus Stop, and it takes the kerbs at Les Combes well.
The anti-roll bars are 4 and 10. A soft front bar for grip at the front, a stiff rear bar so the car rotates. With a front wing at 2 the car needs that help to turn in sector two.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in Pouhon | Front wing 2 to 3 | More front load in the fast corners |
| The rear steps out at the top of Raidillon | Rear wing 6 to 7 | More rear downforce at high speed |
| The rear snaps at Fagnes | Rear anti-roll bar 10 to 8 | A softer rear bar gives the rear more grip |
| You brake too early everywhere | Brake pressure 75% to 80% | More stopping power, if you can hold it without locking |
| The rear moves when you brake for the Bus Stop | Front brake bias 54% to 56% | More of the braking goes to the front |
| Slow change of direction at Les Combes | Front suspension 1 to 2 | A stiffer front answers the steering faster |
| Too slow on Kemmel | Rear wing 6 to 5 | Less drag. Sector two gets harder |
For a race
With fuel on board the car is heavy in sector two, and the front tyres take the load in Pouhon lap after lap. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Front wing 2 to 3. Less sliding at the front in sector two.
- Tyre pressures down a few clicks. 25.0 at the front runs hot over a stint.
- Rear anti-roll bar 10 to 8. More traction as the tyres go off.
- Fuel. The 10 kg is a time trial number. In a race the game sets the load for the distance.
I would leave the ride height alone. With a full tank the car sits lower, and Eau Rouge is still there.
On a pad, I would keep the brake pressure at 75%, soften the rear anti-roll bar to 8 and add a click of front wing.
F1 2019 has manual ERS modes. Spend the battery out of La Source and up the Kemmel straight. Save in sector two. Spend again from Stavelot to the Bus Stop. You pass into Les Combes and into the Bus Stop.
Where the lap time is at Spa
- La Source. The most important exit of the lap. Brake early, turn in late and get the car straight. Everything up to Les Combes depends on it.
- Eau Rouge and Raidillon. Flat with low fuel. Left at the bottom, right up the hill, left over the top. Be smooth on the steering. Any slide here costs you speed for the whole Kemmel straight.
- Les Combes. Hard braking, then right, left, right. Use the kerbs on the first two and get a clean exit from the third.
- Bruxelles. A long downhill right hairpin. The front pushes because the road falls away. Be patient and wait for the apex.
- Pouhon. A double left, downhill on the way in. A lift or a short brake, then back on the throttle early and hold it through the second apex.
- Fagnes and Stavelot. Right and left at Fagnes, then two rights. The exit of the second right starts the flat out run to the Bus Stop.
- Blanchimont. Flat. Place the car and do not move the wheel more than you need.
- The Bus Stop. Brake late in a straight line, right then left. Use the kerbs and get the car straight for the line.
If you take one thing from this page: two exits make the lap, La Source and Stavelot. Each one is followed by a very long run at full throttle.
Spa in 2019
The 2019 Belgian Grand Prix was round 13 of 21, on 1 September, over 44 laps. Charles Leclerc took pole position in 1:42.519.
The weekend was marked by the death of Anthoine Hubert in the Formula 2 race on the Saturday. The paddock paid tribute to him before the start.
At the first corner, Max Verstappen and Kimi Räikkönen touched. The Red Bull had suspension damage and went into the barriers a few corners later. Leclerc led from pole and won, the first driver from Monaco to win a Grand Prix. He dedicated it to Hubert. Lewis Hamilton was second and Valtteri Bottas third. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap, a 1:46.409 on lap 36.
More F1 2019 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2019 setups page. Spa is round 13. The round before it is the F1 2019 Hungary setup and the next one is the F1 2019 Monza setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2018 Spa setup, my F1 2020 Spa setup and my F1 25 Spa setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2019 setup for Spa?
Front wing 2, rear wing 6, differential 50% on throttle and 67% off, suspension 1 and 3, anti-roll bars 4 and 10, ride height 4 and 4, brake pressure 75% with 54% front bias, and tyres at 25.0 and 22.7 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Spa in F1 2019?
2 at the front and 6 at the rear for time trial. For a race I would run 3 at the front to help the car in sector two.
Can I use this Spa setup in a race?
Yes, with small changes. Add one click of front wing, lower the tyre pressures a few clicks and soften the rear anti-roll bar to 8.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. The low brake pressure already helps on a pad. I would soften the rear anti-roll bar to 8 and add a click of front wing.
Why is the brake pressure so low in this setup?
Because the car has little wing. Less downforce means the tyres lock more easily in the big stops, and 75% gives you a margin.
Where can I overtake at Spa in F1 2019?
Into Les Combes at the end of the Kemmel straight, with DRS, and into the Bus Stop at the end of the lap.
How long is Spa in F1 2019?
7.004 km with 19 corners, the longest lap in the game. The real race is 44 laps.