Suzuka is a driver's track. The first sector is one long chain of corners where each one sets up the next, and then come Degner, the hairpin, Spoon and 130R. There is not much time to rest, and a mistake follows you for a long way.
So this F1 2020 Japan setup is built around the rear of the car. It has to stay with you when you change direction at high speed. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Japan setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 4 | 7 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -2.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 9 |
| Anti-roll bar | 3 | 1 |
| Ride height | 3 | 4 |
| 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 Suzuka
The wings. 4 and 7. A middle setting. The front wing at 4 is on the high side for my list, because in the Esses the front has to bite five times in a row. The rear at 7 holds the car through Dunlop and Spoon without killing you on the back straight.
The differential. 50% on throttle, 50% off. Fully open, like six other setups in the list. At Suzuka you are on a part throttle for long stretches, in the Esses and in Spoon, and an open differential lets the car turn while you feed the power in. There are only two real traction exits, the hairpin and the chicane.
The camber. -2.50 front and -2.00 rear. The rear is at the high end of what I run. Suzuka is all long, loaded corners, and the rear tyres need the camber to hold on.
The tyre pressures. 21.0 psi front and 19.5 psi rear, the lowest the menu allows.
The softest rear bar in my list
The anti-roll bars are 3 at the front and 1 at the rear. 1 is the minimum, and no other setup of mine goes that low at the rear. 18 of the 22 run the rear bar at 7 or more. This is also one of only two setups where the front bar is stiffer than the rear. The other one is Russia.
A soft rear bar gives the rear tyres grip when the car rolls. In the Esses you throw the car from left to right at high speed, and what you do not want is a rear that steps out in the middle of that. With the bar at 1 the rear follows. The car feels a little lazy in the slow corners, and you accept that.
The springs do the opposite job. 1 at the front and 9 at the rear, so the rear is still held up under load and the car does not sit down in 130R.
Ride height is 3 and 4. Only seven of my setups have the rear at 4 or more. It gives you room to use the kerbs in the Esses and at the chicane.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
Suzuka is easy on the brakes. The hairpin and the chicane are the only big stops. The tricky one is Degner 2, where you brake while the car is still settling from Degner 1. If you lock the front there, go to 95%.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Understeer in the Esses | Front wing 4 to 5 | More front downforce where you need it most |
| The car is lazy in the slow corners | Rear anti-roll bar 1 to 3 | A stiffer rear bar helps the car rotate |
| The rear steps out in the Esses | Rear wing 7 to 8 | More rear downforce at speed |
| Wheelspin out of the hairpin and the chicane | On throttle differential 50% to 58% | A little lock makes both rear wheels push |
| The rear is nervous into Degner and Spoon | Off throttle differential 50% to 55% | More lock steadies the rear on entry |
| Slow on the back straight | Rear wing 7 to 6 | Less drag, with a looser rear in the first sector |
| Front tyres lock into Degner 2 or the chicane | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- On throttle differential 50% to 55%. The rear tyres last longer out of the hairpin and the chicane.
- Off throttle differential 50% to 54%. A steadier car on a full tank, when the rear is heavy into Spoon.
- Front wing 4 to 5. The front tyres take a lot in the first sector. More wing means less sliding.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks more easily.
- 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 58% on throttle, 55% off and around 90% brake pressure. The Esses are hard on a stick, so a steady rear helps more than a sharp front.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Use it on the back straight after Spoon, and on the pit straight if you want to try a move into turn 1.
Where the lap time is at Suzuka
- Turn 1 and turn 2. You arrive very fast. Turn in to the first part on a light brake and do the real slowing down for turn 2. Use the exit kerb.
- The Esses. Do not attack the first one. Late apexes, small steering inputs, and each corner a little tighter than you expect. Lift, do not brake.
- Dunlop. The long uphill left at the end of the Esses. Keep the throttle steady and let the car run out.
- Degner 1 and Degner 2. The first is fast and narrow. The second is slow and comes straight after. Touch the gravel at Degner 1 and the lap is gone.
- The hairpin. Brake while the track still bends to the right. Late apex, and wait for the rear before you go.
- Spoon. A double left. Sacrifice the first part so you are early on the throttle in the second. The exit starts the back straight.
- 130R. Flat. Turn in once and hold it.
- The chicane. The last big stop and the best passing place. Brake in a straight line and stay off the second kerb.
If you take one thing from this page: the first Esse decides the next four corners. Go in slower than you want to, and the speed stays with you up to Dunlop.
Suzuka in 2020
The 2020 cars never raced at Suzuka. The Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled in June 2020, together with Azerbaijan and Singapore. Only 17 of the 22 planned races were run that year, so the game is the only place where you can drive these cars here.
The last race before that was on 13 October 2019. Typhoon Hagibis moved qualifying to Sunday morning, a few hours before the start. Sebastian Vettel took pole in 1:27.064. Valtteri Bottas won, Vettel was second and Lewis Hamilton third.
The lap is 5.807 km with 18 corners, in a figure of eight. The real race is 53 laps.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Suzuka in the game's calendar is Sochi, with my F1 2020 Russia setup, and the next one is Austin, with my F1 2020 USA setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2019 Japan setup, my F1 22 Japan setup, my F1 23 Japan setup and my F1 25 Japan setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Japan?
Front wing 4, rear wing 7, differential 50% on throttle and 50% off, suspension 1 and 9, anti-roll bars 3 and 1, ride height 3 and 4, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.0 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Suzuka in F1 2020?
4 at the front and 7 at the rear. Go to 5 at the front if the car pushes in the Esses.
Why is the rear anti-roll bar at 1?
To give the rear tyres grip in the fast changes of direction. If the car feels lazy in the slow corners, try 3.
Can I use this Japan setup in a race?
Yes. I would add a little lock to the differential on both sides, go to 5 on the front wing and lower the brake pressure to 95%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would run 58% on throttle, 55% off and around 90% brake pressure.
Was there a Japanese Grand Prix in 2020?
No. It was cancelled in June 2020. The last race before that was in 2019, and Valtteri Bottas won it for Mercedes.
How long is Suzuka in F1 2020?
5.807 km with 18 corners. The real race is 53 laps.