Monza is four long straights, two chicanes and five real corners. You are at full throttle for most of the lap, and you brake very hard three times.
So this F1 2020 Monza setup takes the front wing off, keeps some rear wing for the braking zones, and does something no other setup in my list does with the tyre pressures. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Italy setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 7 |
| Camber | -2.60 | -2.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 11 |
| Anti-roll bar | 2 | 5 |
| Ride height | 1 | 3 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.8 psi | 23.1 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 55% |
| Differential off throttle | 57% |
| 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 at Monza
The wings. 1 and 7. The front is at the minimum. The rear is not. At 7 it is one click more than at Spa or Baku, and I will be honest, it is more than I expected to find here. What it gives you is a rear that stays in line when you brake from top speed for the first chicane, and grip in the Parabolica. If you want pure top speed there is room to go lower, and the table further down tells you how.
The tyre pressures. 21.8 psi front and 23.1 psi rear. This is the odd one. 18 of my 22 setups run the minimum, 21.0 and 19.5. Here the front is two steps up and the rear is nine steps up. It is the only setup in the list with more pressure at the rear than at the front. I read it this way: a harder tyre rolls more freely on the straights and answers faster in the chicanes. You give away some traction for it.
The differential. 55% on throttle and 57% off. Only four of my setups go above 50% on throttle, and only Russia has more lock off throttle. The lock on throttle helps both rear wheels push out of the chicanes. The lock off throttle steadies the rear in the three big braking zones.
The camber. -2.60 front and -2.00 rear. A touch more than the minimum at the front, for the Parabolica and the two Lesmo corners.
Nose down, stiff rear
Front springs 1, rear springs 11. The softest front and the stiffest rear the menu has. Nine of my 22 setups do the same. The soft front lets the car ride the chicane kerbs. The stiff rear holds the car up at speed.
The anti-roll bars are 2 and 5. A rear bar at 5 is soft. Most of my setups run 7 or more. With hard rear tyres and a stiff rear spring, the soft bar is what gives you some traction back out of the Rettifilo and the Roggia.
Ride height is 1 and 3. The front is as low as it goes, which cuts drag. The rear at 3 leaves room for the kerbs.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
Monza is the hardest track of the game on the brakes. You arrive at the first chicane at top speed with very little wing to slow you down. The first part of the stop is fine, because the car still has grip from the speed. The lock comes at the end, when the car is slow and you are still on the pedal. Come off the brake as the speed drops. If the fronts still lock, go to 95%.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Slow on the straights | Rear wing 7 to 5 | Less drag. The rear gets lighter on the brakes |
| Understeer in the Lesmos and the Parabolica | Front wing 1 to 2 | More front grip, almost no cost in top speed |
| The rear moves under braking for the first chicane | Off throttle differential 57% to 62% | More lock steadies the rear on entry |
| Wheelspin out of the chicanes | Rear tyre pressure 23.1 to 21.5 psi | A softer tyre has more traction |
| The car jumps on the chicane kerbs | Ride height 1 and 3 to 2 and 4 | More room over the kerbs |
| The car does not turn in Ascari | Rear anti-roll bar 5 to 7 | A stiffer rear bar helps the car change direction |
| Front tyres lock at the first chicane | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
Monza gives you a very strong slipstream, so nobody runs away. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear tyre pressure 23.1 to 21.5 psi. High pressures are a one lap choice. Over a stint the rear tyres will thank you for a softer setting.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car on low wing is easy to lock at the first chicane, and one lock up ruins a set of tyres.
- Keep the rear wing at 7. In a race you spend a lot of laps braking next to another car. A stable rear is worth more than two or three km/h.
- 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 lower the rear pressure in the same way, go to 60% on throttle and take the brake pressure down to around 90%.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Use it out of the Parabolica and out of the second Lesmo. Those are the two longest runs.
Where the lap time is at Monza
- The Rettifilo, turn 1 and turn 2. The hardest stop of the lap. Brake in a straight line, use the kerb on the right and then the one on the left, and go to the throttle early. With the differential at 55% the rear will push if you are greedy.
- Curva Grande. Flat. Let the car run to the outside and then bring it back to the left for the Roggia.
- The Roggia, turn 4 and turn 5. Left, right. Take the first kerb. Stay off the high part of the second.
- Lesmo 1. Faster than it looks. A short brake, turn in and trust the car.
- Lesmo 2. Tighter than it looks. Brake a bit more than you think you need. The exit starts the long run to Ascari.
- Ascari. Left, right, left. A short brake for the first part, then throttle and keep it down. Use all the road on the way out.
- The Parabolica. Brake late, turn in, and go back to the throttle before the apex. The corner opens and the car goes with it. This is where the rear wing at 7 pays.
If you take one thing from this page: brake a little earlier for the chicanes than you want to. A missed chicane is a lap gone, and a good exit pays you all the way down the next straight.
Monza in 2020
The real 2020 cars did race here, and it was one of the strangest races of the year. The Italian Grand Prix was on 6 September, round 8 of 17, with no spectators.
Lewis Hamilton took pole in 1:18.887. On lap 19 the Haas of Kevin Magnussen stopped near the pit entry. Pierre Gasly had made his stop just before the safety car came out and the pit lane was closed. Hamilton came in while it was closed and got a 10 second stop and go penalty.
After the restart Charles Leclerc crashed at the Parabolica. The race was red flagged and started again from the grid on lap 28. Hamilton served his penalty and dropped to the back. Gasly, who had started tenth, took the lead and held off Carlos Sainz to the flag.
It was Gasly's first win in Formula 1, in an AlphaTauri, and the first win for a French driver since Olivier Panis at Monaco in 1996. Sainz was second for McLaren and Lance Stroll third for Racing Point. It was the first podium without a Mercedes, a Ferrari or a Red Bull since Hungary 2012. Hamilton set the fastest lap, a 1:22.746.
The lap is 5.793 km and the race distance is 53 laps.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Monza in the game's calendar is Spa, with my F1 2020 Belgium setup, and the next one is Marina Bay, with my F1 2020 Singapore setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Monza setup, my F1 2021 Monza setup, my F1 23 Italy setup and my F1 25 Monza setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Monza?
Front wing 1, rear wing 7, differential 55% on throttle and 57% off, suspension 1 and 11, anti-roll bars 2 and 5, ride height 1 and 3, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.8 and 23.1 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Monza in F1 2020?
1 at the front and 7 at the rear. If you are slow on the straights, try 5 at the rear and see if you can still brake for the first chicane.
Why are the tyre pressures so high?
A harder tyre rolls more freely and answers faster. At Monza the straights are long and there are few slow exits. For a race I would bring the rear down to about 21.5 psi.
Can I use this Monza setup in a race?
Yes. I would lower the rear tyre pressure and take the brake pressure to 95%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would run 60% on throttle, a lower rear tyre pressure and around 90% brake pressure.
Who won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix?
Pierre Gasly, for AlphaTauri, from tenth on the grid. Carlos Sainz was second and Lance Stroll third.
How long is Monza?
5.793 km. The Grand Prix distance is 53 laps.