Monaco is the slowest lap in Formula 1 and the hardest one to finish. Walls on both sides, no run off, 19 corners in 3.337 km. Top speed means nothing. You need a car that turns, grips and forgives.
So this F1 2020 Monaco setup has nearly all the wing the game allows and a soft rear end. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Monaco setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 9 | 11 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -2.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 4 |
| Anti-roll bar | 1 | 7 |
| Ride height | 2 | 3 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.0 psi | 19.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 50% |
| 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 Monaco
The wings. 9 and 11. The rear is at the maximum. Only my Singapore setup runs the same wings, and nothing in my list runs more. There is no straight in Monaco long enough for drag to cost you. Every click of wing is grip in Massenet, at Tabac and through the swimming pool. The front is at 9 and not 11 so the rear always has a little more grip than the front. Next to a wall, you want the car to push a bit, not to snap.
The differential. 50% on throttle and 50% off. Fully open. Monaco has the tightest corners of the year, and a locked differential fights you in every one of them. Open, the inside rear wheel is free and the car rotates around the hairpin and Rascasse. You lose some traction, but the soft rear springs give part of it back.
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. -2.50 front, the least the game allows, and -2.00 rear. There are no long fast corners here, so there is no reason to lean the front tyres more.
The soft rear
Most of my F1 2020 setups run the rear springs between 8 and 11. Monaco is at 4. Only Bahrain, also at 4, and Zandvoort, at 3, are this soft.
Monaco is a real road. It is bumpy, it has crests and the kerbs are high. A soft rear follows all of that and keeps the tyres on the ground. It also squats when you go to the throttle, and that is traction out of the hairpin, Portier and Rascasse.
The front springs and the front anti-roll bar are both at 1. That is the softest front end the menu allows, so it is all the mechanical front grip you can have. You need it at the hairpin, where the car wants to go straight on.
The rear anti-roll bar is 7. With the springs this soft, the bar is what keeps the rear from rolling too much in the quick changes of direction at the swimming pool.
Ride height is 2 and 3. Low enough for the floor to work, high enough for the bumps.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
The big stop is the chicane after the tunnel. It is downhill, and the car is light over the crest as you start braking. Mirabeau is downhill and bumpy too. If you lock the fronts in either place you are in the wall, so if it happens more than once, go to 95% and forget about it. In Monaco a brake pedal you trust is worth more than two metres.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The car will not turn at the hairpin | Front wing 9 to 10 | More front grip everywhere |
| The rear snaps in the swimming pool | Rear anti-roll bar 7 to 5 | A softer rear bar gives grip in fast changes of direction |
| Wheelspin out of Portier and Rascasse | On throttle differential 50% to 60% | A little lock makes both rear wheels push |
| The rear slides into Mirabeau | Off throttle differential 50% to 55% | A little lock steadies the rear on entry |
| The car bounces off the kerbs | Ride height 2 and 3 to 3 and 4 | More room over the kerbs |
| The car feels lazy at the chicane | Rear suspension 4 to 6 | A stiffer rear reacts faster |
| Front tyres lock at the chicane | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
In Monaco the race is qualifying. Passing is close to impossible, so track position is everything and the setup hardly needs to change. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- On throttle differential 50% to 60%. Less wheelspin, so the rear tyres last.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks its fronts more easily, and a lock up here ends the race.
- Wings. Leave them. You will not pass anyone with less wing.
- 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 from the walls for the whole race. A clean slow lap beats a fast lap that ends at Tabac.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. The only place it helps is out of Portier, through the tunnel and down to the chicane.
Where the lap time is in Monaco
- Sainte Devote, turn 1. A tight right with a wall on the exit. Brake in a straight line. The exit sets your speed all the way up the hill.
- Massenet and Casino, turn 3 and turn 4. A long blind left over the top of the hill, then a right. This is where the wing pays you back. Stay close to the inside barrier in Massenet.
- Mirabeau, turn 5. Downhill and bumpy on the brakes. Keep a little brake on as you turn and the car rotates.
- The hairpin, turn 6. Full lock, first gear, and wait. There is nothing to gain here, only to lose.
- Portier, turn 8. The most important exit of the lap. It leads into the tunnel and down to the chicane. Late apex, early throttle. With the open differential, squeeze it.
- The chicane, turn 10 and turn 11. The biggest stop of the lap. Brake early for the first few laps. Use the kerb on the way in and stay off the one on the way out.
- Tabac, turn 12. Fast, with the wall on the exit. One clean input.
- The swimming pool, turn 13 to turn 16. The first part is nearly flat. The second part is slower and the inside wall is right there. Touch it and the lap is over.
- Rascasse and the last corners, turn 17 to turn 19. Slow and tight. Get the car straight, then throttle.
If you take one thing from this page: build up to it. I would do ten laps at nine tenths before I pushed here. The walls do not give you a second chance.
Monaco in 2020
There was no Monaco Grand Prix in 2020. The race was cancelled because of the pandemic, one of 13 races from the original 22 race calendar that were never run. It was the first year without Formula 1 in Monaco since 1954.
The race came back in 2021. So in F1 2020 you drive a lap that the real 2020 cars never did. The year before, in 2019, Lewis Hamilton had won here from pole for Mercedes.
The circuit itself is 3.337 km of city streets around the harbour, and its shape has hardly changed since the first race in 1929.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Monaco in the game's calendar is Barcelona, with my F1 2020 Spain setup, and the next one is Baku, with my F1 2020 Baku setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Monaco setup, my F1 2021 Monaco setup, my F1 23 Monaco setup and my F1 25 Monaco setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Monaco?
Front wing 9, rear wing 11, differential 50% on throttle and 50% off, suspension 1 and 4, anti-roll bars 1 and 7, 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 Monaco in F1 2020?
9 at the front and 11 at the rear. If the car will not turn at the hairpin, go to 10 at the front.
Why is the differential fully open?
Because the corners are so tight. An open differential lets the inside rear wheel turn freely, so the car rotates at the hairpin and Rascasse.
Can I use this Monaco setup in a race?
Yes. I would raise the on throttle differential to 60% and lower the brake pressure to 95%. Leave the wings alone.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. The soft rear makes it forgiving. I would run 60% on throttle and around 90% brake pressure.
Was there a 2020 Monaco Grand Prix?
No. It was cancelled, and 2020 was the first year without Formula 1 in Monaco since 1954. The race returned in 2021.
How long is the Monaco circuit?
3.337 km with 19 corners. It is a street circuit around the harbour.