Shanghai has two corners that never seem to end. Turn 1 and 2 wind tighter and tighter at the start of the lap. Turn 12 and 13 open wider and wider onto a back straight of more than a kilometre.
This F1 2020 China setup is built around the second one. The differential is at 80% on throttle, the most locked in my whole list, and the rear of the car is as stiff as the menu allows. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 China setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 2 | 8 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -2.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 11 |
| Anti-roll bar | 1 | 11 |
| Ride height | 2 | 3 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.0 psi | 19.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 80% |
| Differential off throttle | 50% |
| 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.
The lap on board
Why this setup works in Shanghai
The lap is 5.451 km with 16 corners. The back straight is more than a kilometre long and it ends in a hairpin.
The wings. 2 and 8. The front is low for the back straight. The rear is six clicks higher. That is a big gap, and it is there because the two long right handers load the rear tyres for a long time. With the rear at 8 the car holds its line in turn 13 while you feed in the throttle.
The differential. 80% on throttle. Eighteen of my 22 setups run 50%, and the next highest is 60%. So this is the unusual number on the page. A locked differential makes both rear wheels push together. In turn 13 you are on the throttle for a very long time with the car turning, and an open differential would spin the inside wheel all the way round. At 80% the car drives forward.
The price is understeer on power. A locked rear wants to go straight. That is why the rest of the setup is built to make the car turn. See the suspension below.
Off throttle it is 50%, fully open, so the car rotates when you lift on the way into turn 1 and turn 11.
The tyre pressures. 21.0 psi front and 19.5 psi rear, the lowest the menu allows. The biggest contact patch you can get.
The camber. Front -2.50, the least the game allows. Rear -2.00, the most in my list, because the outside rear tyre leans on its shoulder for seconds at a time in the long corners.
As soft as it goes at the front, as stiff as it goes at the rear
Springs 1 and 11. Anti-roll bars 1 and 11. Both at the two ends of the scale. My Vietnam setup has the same bars, but no other setup in my list has both.
A soft front and a stiff rear make a car turn. The front tyres grip, the rear is light, and the nose goes where you point it. Normally that much rotation would be too much. Here it is the answer to the 80% differential. The differential pushes the car straight on power, the suspension pulls it into the corner, and the two meet in the middle.
So do not change one without the other. If you open the differential and leave the rear this stiff, the car will be loose everywhere. If you soften the rear and keep 80%, it will not turn.
Ride height is 2 and 3. The front is one click off the minimum, which gives the floor a little room over the kerbs in turn 7 and 8.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure, and 50% bias is the normal number in this game.
The stop that matters is turn 14, the hairpin at the end of the back straight. You arrive at top speed and the fronts lock easily. Turn 1 is different. You do not really brake for it. You lift, turn in and squeeze the pedal as the corner closes.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer on power in turn 13 | On throttle differential 80% to 70% | A more open differential lets the car turn |
| The rear snaps in turn 7 and 8 | Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9 | A softer rear bar gives grip in a change of direction |
| Front tyres lock into turn 14 | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| The front washes wide in turn 1 and 2 | Front wing 2 to 3 | More front downforce in the long corner |
| The rear slides on entry to turn 1 | Off throttle differential 50% to 55% | A little lock steadies the rear when you lift |
| The rear tyres overheat | Rear suspension 11 to 9 | A softer rear slides less |
| Too slow on the back straight | Rear wing 8 to 7 | Less drag. Less grip in turn 13 |
For a race
Shanghai is hard on the front left tyre. Turn 1, 2 and 13 lean on it for a long time. And an 80% differential with a rear this stiff asks a lot of the rears. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- On throttle differential 80% to 65%. Easier on the rear tyres and easier to drive when they are worn.
- Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9 and rear suspension 11 to 9. A calmer rear to go with the more open differential.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks its fronts more easily, and turn 14 is where you race.
- 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, soften the rear to 8 and take the brake pressure down to around 90%.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Press it out of turn 13 and hold it down the back straight. Turn 14 is the best place to pass on the track.
Where the lap time is in Shanghai
- Turn 1 and 2. You arrive flat out and the corner gets tighter and tighter. Lift, turn in, and brake gently as it closes, keeping the car on the inside. If you run wide you are off line for turn 3.
- Turn 3. A slow left right after the spiral. Get the car straight before you go to the throttle.
- Turn 6. A hairpin after a short straight. Late apex.
- Turn 7 and 8. Fast left, fast right. One line and a small lift for turn 7. With the rear this stiff, turn the wheel gently.
- Turn 9 and 10. Two slow lefts. Be patient in turn 9, because the exit of turn 10 is what counts.
- Turn 11, 12 and 13. The most important part of the lap. A slow left, then a right that opens for a long time onto the back straight. Go to the throttle bit by bit and let the car run out to the kerb. This is where the 80% differential earns its place.
- Turn 14. The hairpin at the end of the back straight. Brake in a straight line.
- Turn 16. The last corner, a quick left. Use all the exit kerb.
If you take one thing from this page: the lap is decided in turn 13. Every km/h on the exit stays with you for more than a kilometre.
China in 2020
In the game, Shanghai is round 4. The real race was planned for 19 April 2020. It was postponed before the season had even started, and later it was cancelled.
Formula 1 did not come back the next year either. Races were announced for 2021, 2022 and 2023 and all three were cancelled. The Chinese Grand Prix only returned in 2024.
So the last race in Shanghai before the game came out was in 2019. That one was the 1000th race of the world championship, and Lewis Hamilton won it for Mercedes with Valtteri Bottas second.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Shanghai in the game's calendar is Hanoi, with my F1 2020 Vietnam setup, and the next one is Zandvoort, with my F1 2020 Netherlands setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2018 China setup, my F1 2019 China setup and my F1 25 China setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for China?
Front wing 2, rear wing 8, differential 80% on throttle and 50% off, suspension 1 and 11, anti-roll bars 1 and 11, ride height 2 and 3, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.0 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run in Shanghai in F1 2020?
2 at the front and 8 at the rear for time trial. If the front washes wide in turn 1 and 2, go to 3 at the front.
Why is the differential at 80%?
For traction out of turn 13, the long right hander before the back straight. A locked differential stops the inside rear wheel from spinning. The very stiff rear suspension is there to balance the understeer it brings.
Can I use this China setup in a race?
Yes, with changes. I would open the on throttle differential to 65% and soften the rear suspension and rear anti-roll bar to 9.
Does this setup work with a controller?
It is one of the harder ones on a pad. I would go to 60% on throttle, soften the rear to 8 and lower the brake pressure to around 90%.
Was there a 2020 Chinese Grand Prix?
No. It was postponed and then cancelled. The race did not return until 2024.
How long is the Shanghai International Circuit?
5.451 km with 16 corners. The back straight is more than a kilometre long.