The Red Bull Ring is ten corners and about a minute. The first half is three straights and three hard stops, all uphill. The second half is fast and downhill. On a lap this short there is no place to win back a mistake.
So this F1 2020 Austria setup is low on wing and built for braking and traction. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Austria setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 2 | 6 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 11 |
| Anti-roll bar | 1 | 9 |
| Ride height | 2 | 3 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.4 psi | 19.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| Differential off throttle | 55% |
| Brake pressure | 100% |
| Front brake bias | 51% |
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.
The lap on board
Why this setup works at the Red Bull Ring
The wings. 2 and 6. My Silverstone setup runs the same, and only Russia has less rear wing in my list. From the last corner to turn 4 you are on a straight three times, and all three go uphill. Drag costs you on every one. The rear at 6 is what keeps the car on the road through the fast downhill corners at the end. Less than that and turn 9 becomes a lottery.
The differential. 50% on throttle, 55% off. Open on the power, so the car rotates out of turn 3 and turn 4. The 5% of lock off throttle keeps the rear in line when you brake downhill into turn 4, where the car is light.
The tyre pressures. 21.4 psi front and 19.5 psi rear. The rear is at the lowest the menu allows. The front is one step up. Most of my setups run 21.0 at the front, and only four do not. A little more pressure makes the front answer faster in the quick corners of the second half.
The camber. -2.50 front and -1.00 rear. Both are the least the menu allows. A rear tyre that stands upright has all its tread on the ground in a straight line. That is what you want when the lap is three big braking zones and three big traction zones.
Stiff rear, low car
Rear springs 11. The stiffest the menu has, and nine of my 22 setups use it. With a stiff rear the car does not squat on the straights, so the floor stays at the same height and the car stays stable when you get to the brakes.
The front springs and the front anti-roll bar are both at 1. The softest front end you can have. It gives the front tyres grip in turn 3 and turn 4, the two slow corners, and it lets the car use the inside kerbs.
The rear anti-roll bar is 9. A stiff rear bar helps the car rotate, and in the fast lefts of turn 6 and turn 7 it stops the rear from leaning.
Ride height is 2 and 3. Low. The one thing to watch is the kerbs on the exit of turn 9 and turn 10. If the car bottoms there and snaps, go up one click at the rear.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 51%.
The pressure is the same in every setup in my F1 2020 database. The bias is not. 20 of the 22 run 50%. Austria is at 51% and Bahrain at 53%.
The reason is turn 4. You brake downhill, and the weight goes forward more than on a flat road. The rear gets light and wants to come round. One click of bias to the front takes a little work away from the rear brakes. Turn 1 and turn 3 are uphill, so there the car stops well whatever you do.
If the fronts lock in turn 3, do not move the bias back. Go to 95% pressure.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The rear moves in turn 9 and turn 10 | Rear wing 6 to 7 | More rear grip at high speed |
| Understeer in turn 6 and turn 7 | Front wing 2 to 3 | More front grip in the fast lefts |
| Wheelspin out of turn 3 | On throttle differential 50% to 60% | A little lock makes both rear wheels push |
| The rear comes round into turn 4 | Front brake bias 51% to 53% | Less work for the rear brakes |
| The car snaps on the exit kerbs | Rear ride height 3 to 4 | More room over the kerbs |
| The rear slides on the power | Rear anti-roll bar 9 to 7 | A softer rear bar gives traction |
| Front tyres lock in turn 3 | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
You can pass here, into turn 3 and into turn 4, so keep the wings low. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- On throttle differential 50% to 60%. Three slow exits a lap, 71 laps at full distance. The rear tyres need the help.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks its fronts more easily into turn 3.
- Rear wing 6 to 7 if the rear tyres go off. It costs a little on the straights and saves the tyres in the second half.
- 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 60% on throttle and take the brake pressure down to around 90%. I would also give myself a margin at the exit of the last two corners. The game takes the lap away if you run wide there.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Use it out of turn 1 and out of turn 3.
Where the lap time is at the Red Bull Ring
- Turn 1. A fast uphill right at the end of the pit straight. The hill slows the car for you, so brake later than you think. Use the exit kerb and nothing past it.
- Turn 3. The slowest corner, a tight right at the top of the hill. Brake in a straight line, turn late and point the car down the next straight before full throttle.
- Turn 4. A downhill stop into a right hander. The car is light on the way in. Brake a little earlier than feels right and take a late apex.
- Turn 6 and turn 7. Two fast lefts. Turn in early and be patient in the middle. If the front starts to slide, do not add steering. Wait.
- Turn 8. A fast right. Flat, or very close to it.
- Turn 9 and turn 10. Two fast downhill rights. You do not see much of turn 9 before you turn in. A small lift, one input, and the exit kerb but nothing beyond it.
If you take one thing from this page: the three exits in the first half decide the lap. Each one is followed by a straight, and the lap is so short that a bad exit is a tenth you do not find again.
Austria in 2020
This is one of the nine tracks from the game's calendar that the real 2020 cars did race on. And it was the first one. After the pandemic stopped the season before it started, the championship opened here on 5 July 2020, with no spectators. It was the first Formula 1 weekend ever held behind closed doors.
Valtteri Bottas took pole for Mercedes in 1:02.939, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and won the race. Charles Leclerc was second for Ferrari after starting seventh. Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, his first podium in Formula 1, and set the fastest lap on the last lap, a 1:07.475.
A week later the cars raced on the same track again, in the Styrian Grand Prix. It was the first time the same circuit and layout held two world championship races in a row. Max Verstappen had won here in 2018 and 2019.
The lap is 4.318 km, and the race distance is 71 laps.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Austria in the game's calendar is Paul Ricard, with my F1 2020 France setup, and the next one is Silverstone, with my F1 2020 Silverstone setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Austria setup, my F1 2021 Austria setup, my F1 23 Austria setup and my F1 25 Austria setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Austria?
Front wing 2, rear wing 6, differential 50% on throttle and 55% off, suspension 1 and 11, anti-roll bars 1 and 9, ride height 2 and 3, brake pressure 100% with 51% front bias, and tyres at 21.4 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run in Austria in F1 2020?
2 at the front and 6 at the rear. If the rear moves in the last two corners, go to 7 at the rear.
Why is the brake bias at 51%?
Because of the downhill stop into turn 4. A little more front bias takes work away from the rear brakes, so the rear stays in line.
Can I use this Austria setup in a race?
Yes. I would raise the on throttle differential to 60% and lower the brake pressure to 95%. Keep the wings low.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would run 60% on throttle and around 90% brake pressure, and leave a margin on the exit of the last two corners.
Who won the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix?
Valtteri Bottas, from pole, for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc was second and Lando Norris third. It was the first race of the 2020 season.
How long is the Red Bull Ring?
4.318 km with 10 corners. A time trial lap takes a little over a minute.