Spa is seven kilometres long and you spend most of it at full throttle. From La Source to Les Combes you do not lift, and from Stavelot to the Bus Stop it is the same. In between there is a middle sector full of fast corners that asks for wing.
So this F1 2020 Spa setup is a compromise that leans to the straights. Very little wing, and a car that sits as low as the game lets it. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Belgium setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 6 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.90 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 11 |
| Anti-roll bar | 1 | 2 |
| Ride height | 1 | 2 |
| 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 at Spa
The wings. 1 and 6. Add them up and you get 7, the same as Baku and less than any other track in my list. The front wing is at the minimum. The rear at 6 is what keeps the car on the road in Pouhon and through Fagnes. With a front wing this low the car understeers a little in the fast corners, and that is the safe way round for Eau Rouge and Blanchimont.
The differential. 50% on throttle and 50% off. Fully open both ways. Seven of my 22 setups do this. An open differential lets the rear wheels turn at different speeds, so the car rotates more easily. Spa has only two slow exits, La Source and the Bus Stop, so there is not much traction to lose.
The camber. -2.50 front and -1.90 rear. The front is at the least the game allows, which is good for braking and for top speed.
The tyre pressures. 21.0 psi front and 19.5 psi rear, the lowest the menu allows.
The lowest car in my list
Ride height is 1 at the front and 2 at the rear. Several of my setups run 1 at the front. None of the others runs 2 at the rear. A low car has less drag and makes more grip from the floor, and at Spa there are few kerbs you have to climb.
The price is the bottom of Eau Rouge. The car is pushed into the ground there, and with a heavy fuel load it can touch. In time trial with 10 kg it is fine.
The springs are 1 at the front and 11 at the rear, the softest front and the stiffest rear the menu has. Nine of my 22 setups do the same. The stiff rear holds the low car off the ground at speed.
The anti-roll bars are 1 and 2. This is the softest pair in my database. With rear springs at 11 the rear is already stiff, and the soft bars give some grip back in the long corners like Pouhon and Bruxelles.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
There are three big stops: La Source, Les Combes and the Bus Stop. With this little wing the car does not slow down as well as it does at a high downforce track, so the fronts lock more easily at the end of the Kemmel straight. If that happens to you, go to 95%.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in Pouhon and Fagnes | Front wing 1 to 3 | More front grip in the fast corners of the middle sector |
| The rear moves in Eau Rouge or Blanchimont | Rear wing 6 to 7 | More rear grip at high speed |
| The car touches the ground at Eau Rouge | Ride height 1 and 2 to 2 and 3 | More room under the floor |
| Wheelspin out of La Source | On throttle differential 50% to 60% | A little lock makes both rear wheels push |
| The car is lazy in the Bus Stop | Rear anti-roll bar 2 to 5 | A stiffer rear bar helps the car change direction |
| The rear slides on the way into Les Combes | Off throttle differential 50% to 55% | More lock steadies the rear on entry |
| Front tyres lock at Les Combes | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
Spa is a good track for racing. The slipstream on the Kemmel straight is very strong, so the car behind always has a chance. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Ride height 1 and 2 to 2 and 3. A car full of fuel sits lower. One click on each end keeps the floor off the ground at Eau Rouge.
- On throttle differential 50% to 60%. La Source decides if you defend or attack on the Kemmel straight. The exit has to be clean every lap.
- Front wing 1 to 2. With heavy fuel the understeer in Pouhon gets worse and it eats the front left.
- 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 rear wing 7 and 60% on throttle, and take the brake pressure down to around 90%. Eau Rouge and Blanchimont with a stick are easier with a bit more rear wing.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Use it out of La Source and keep it on up the hill. That is where a pass is made.
Where the lap time is at Spa
- La Source. The most important exit of the lap. Brake early, turn in late and get the car straight before you go to full throttle.
- Eau Rouge and Raidillon. Flat in time trial. Left at the bottom, right up the hill, left over the top. Small, smooth inputs. A slide here costs you speed all the way to Les Combes.
- Les Combes. Hard braking, then right, left, right. Use the first two kerbs and make the third corner clean.
- Bruxelles. A long downhill right. The road falls away and the front pushes. Wait for the apex.
- Pouhon. A fast double left that starts downhill. A lift or a short brake on the way in, then back on the throttle and hold it through the second apex. With the front wing at 1 you have to be patient here.
- Fagnes and Stavelot. Right and left, then two rights. The second right starts the long flat out run to the Bus Stop.
- Blanchimont. Flat. Put the car in the right place and keep the wheel still.
- The Bus Stop. Brake late in a straight line, right then left. Use the kerbs and get the car straight for the line.
If you take one thing from this page: two exits make the lap, La Source and Stavelot. Each one is followed by a very long run at full throttle.
Spa in 2020
The real 2020 cars did race here. The Belgian Grand Prix kept its original date, 30 August, and was round 7 of 17. There were no spectators.
Before the start there was a minute of silence for Anthoine Hubert, who died in the Formula 2 race at Spa one year before.
Lewis Hamilton took pole in 1:41.252 and led every lap. Valtteri Bottas was second and Max Verstappen third, and the three of them held those places for the whole race. Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth for Renault and set the fastest lap on the last lap, a 1:47.483.
On lap 10 Antonio Giovinazzi crashed and a loose wheel from his car hit the Williams of George Russell. That brought out the safety car. Ferrari had won at Spa in 2019. In 2020 both Ferraris finished behind the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen.
The lap is 7.004 km and the race distance is 44 laps.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Spa in the game's calendar is the Hungaroring, with my F1 2020 Hungary setup, and the next one is Monza, with my F1 2020 Monza setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Spa setup, my F1 2021 Spa setup, my F1 23 Belgium setup and my F1 25 Spa setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Spa?
Front wing 1, rear wing 6, differential 50% on and off throttle, suspension 1 and 11, anti-roll bars 1 and 2, ride height 1 and 2, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.0 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Spa in F1 2020?
1 at the front and 6 at the rear. If the middle sector feels bad, go to 3 at the front before you touch the rear.
Why is the ride height so low?
Less drag and more grip from the floor. Spa has long straights and few kerbs you need to climb. If the car touches the ground at Eau Rouge, go up one click on each end.
Can I use this Spa setup in a race?
Yes, with ride height 2 and 3, front wing 2 and the on throttle differential at 60%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would run rear wing 7, 60% on throttle and around 90% brake pressure.
Who won the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix?
Lewis Hamilton, from pole, for Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas was second and Max Verstappen third.
How long is Spa-Francorchamps?
7.004 km. The Grand Prix distance is 44 laps.