Yas Marina in F1 2020 is the original layout, with 21 corners. Two long straights, three chicanes, and a last sector of 90 degree corners around the hotel. Almost every corner is slow, and almost every one leads onto a straight.
So this F1 2020 Abu Dhabi setup is about direction changes and traction. Middle wings, stiff anti-roll bars at both ends and a rear tyre that sits flat on the road. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Abu Dhabi setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 4 | 7 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 8 |
| Anti-roll bar | 9 | 9 |
| Ride height | 3 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.4 psi | 19.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| Differential off throttle | 52% |
| Brake pressure | 100% |
| Front brake bias | 50% |
In F1 2020 the wings, suspension, anti-roll bars and ride height all use a scale from 1 to 11. The differential goes from 50%, fully open, to 100%, locked.
This setup was collected for the site in 2022 from a fast time trial lap, like the rest of my F1 2020 setups. Use it as a base and adjust it with the table further down.
Why this setup works at Yas Marina
The wings. 4 and 7. The same pair as my Zandvoort and Suzuka setups, on a very different track. Here it is a compromise. The two straights ask for less, the last sector asks for more, and 4 and 7 sits in the middle.
The differential. 50% on throttle, 52% off. Close to fully open. With this many slow corners you want the car to rotate, and the open differential does that. The 52% off throttle is a small help for the rear in the big stops.
The camber. -2.50 at the front, -1.00 at the rear. Rear camber of -1.00 is the least the menu allows, and only four of my 22 setups use it: Australia, Austria, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. A flatter rear tyre has more rubber on the road when you pick up the throttle in a straight line. On a lap that is all slow exits, that is where the time is.
The tyre pressures. 21.4 psi front and 19.5 psi rear. The front is one click above the minimum, which makes the front a touch sharper in the chicanes. The rear stays as low as it goes.
Singapore suspension, half the wing
Put this setup next to my F1 2020 Singapore setup and a lot of it is the same. Anti-roll bars 9 and 9. Springs 1 and 8. Rear camber -1.00. Differential 50% and 52%.
That makes sense. Both tracks are full of 90 degree corners. Stiff bars at both ends keep the car flat and make it change direction quickly in the chicanes. The soft front springs let the car ride the kerbs, and you use a lot of kerb here.
The difference is the wing. Singapore runs 9 and 11. Abu Dhabi runs 4 and 7, because of the two straights. Ride height is 3 and 4, higher than Singapore at both ends, for the kerbs in the chicanes.
A front bar of 9 is stiff. Only four of my setups go above 3 at the front. If the car understeers in the middle of the hotel corners, soften the front bar before you add wing.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
The biggest stop is the chicane at the end of the first long straight. The second is the chicane after the next straight. Both are in a straight line, so you can be brave. The hairpin is the one where the inside front locks, because you are already turning. If it does, go to 95%.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in the hotel section | Front anti-roll bar 9 to 7 | A softer front bar gives the front tyres more grip |
| Slow on the two straights | Rear wing 7 to 6 | Less drag, with a little less traction |
| Wheelspin out of the hairpin | Rear anti-roll bar 9 to 7 | A softer rear bar helps the rear tyres on the power |
| The car is lazy in the chicanes | Front wing 4 to 5 | More front downforce on turn in |
| The rear moves under braking | Off throttle differential 52% to 57% | More lock steadies the rear on entry |
| The car jumps on the chicane kerbs | Front ride height 3 to 4 | More room under the floor |
| Front tyres lock into the hairpin | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear wing 7 to 8. The last sector is hard on the rear tyres. More wing looks after them.
- Rear anti-roll bar 9 to 7. Better traction over a stint.
- Front anti-roll bar 9 to 8. A little less work for the front tyres in the long last sector.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks more easily into the hairpin.
- 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 soften both bars to 7 and run around 90% brake pressure.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Use it on the first long straight, out of the hairpin. The chicane at the end of it is the best passing place on the lap.
Where the lap time is at Yas Marina
- Turn 1. A 90 degree left. Brake late, but keep the exit, because the next three corners are flat.
- Turns 2 to 4. The sweeps. Flat in time trial. Keep the car in the middle of the road for the chicane.
- Turns 5 to 7. A quick chicane, then the hairpin. Give up the chicane for the hairpin. Late apex, and get on the throttle as early as the rear allows. The longest straight of the lap comes next.
- Turns 8 and 9. The biggest stop, then left and right. Use the kerb on the inside of the first part. The exit leads onto the second straight.
- Turns 11 to 13. Left, right, left. Brake straight, be tidy through the middle and think about the last part.
- The hotel section. A run of 90 degree corners. Late apex in every one. Go in a little slower than you want and you get the throttle earlier.
- The last two corners. Two rights. The exit of the last one is your speed across the line.
If you take one thing from this page: you win here on the exits. Almost every corner is slow, and almost every one leads onto a straight.
Yas Marina in 2020
Unlike 13 of the 22 tracks in the game, this one had its race. The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held on 13 December, behind closed doors, as round 17 of 17. It was the last race of a season that should have had 22.
Max Verstappen took pole in 1:35.246 and led every lap. Valtteri Bottas was second and Lewis Hamilton third. Alexander Albon finished fourth in the other Red Bull. Lando Norris was fifth and Carlos Sainz sixth, which gave McLaren third place in the Constructors' Championship. Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap, a 1:40.926, on the last lap of the race.
It was also the last Formula 1 race on this layout. The circuit was revised for 2021. So the track in the game is the one from the last 55 lap race run on it.
The lap is 5.554 km with 21 corners.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. Abu Dhabi is the last track in the game's calendar. The one before it is Interlagos, with my F1 2020 Brazil setup, and the list starts again in Melbourne with my F1 2020 Australia setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Abu Dhabi setup, my F1 2018 Abu Dhabi setup, my F1 2021 Abu Dhabi setup and my F1 25 Abu Dhabi setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next, and from F1 2021 on the layout is not the same in every game either.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Abu Dhabi?
Front wing 4, rear wing 7, differential 50% on throttle and 52% off, suspension 1 and 8, anti-roll bars 9 and 9, ride height 3 and 4, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.4 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Yas Marina in F1 2020?
4 at the front and 7 at the rear for time trial. For a race I would run 4 and 8.
Why is the rear camber only -1.00?
For traction. A flatter rear tyre puts more rubber on the road when you accelerate out of a slow corner, and this lap is full of them.
Can I use this Abu Dhabi setup in a race?
Yes. I would go to rear wing 8, anti-roll bars 8 and 7, and brake pressure 95%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would soften both anti-roll bars to 7 and run around 90% brake pressure.
Who won the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen, from pole, leading every lap. Valtteri Bottas was second and Lewis Hamilton third.
How long is the Yas Marina Circuit in F1 2020?
5.554 km with 21 corners. The real race is 55 laps.