Hanoi is a track that exists almost only in this game. It was built for 2020, the race was cancelled, and Formula 1 never went there. F1 2020 is the only game with the full circuit in it.
It is a strange lap to set a car up for. Half of it is long straights and hairpins. The other half is a run of fast corners with walls on both sides. This F1 2020 Vietnam setup sits in the middle: wings 3 and 8. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Vietnam setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 3 | 8 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -2.00 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 9 |
| Anti-roll bar | 1 | 11 |
| Ride height | 1 | 4 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.0 psi | 19.5 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 60% |
| Differential off throttle | 55% |
| 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.
Why this setup works in Hanoi
The Hanoi Circuit is 5.613 km long and runs anticlockwise. One of its straights is 1.5 km, among the longest on the calendar. Then the last sector is a chain of quick direction changes where you need the car to stick.
The wings. 3 and 8. You could go lower for the straights, and in a race I would think about it. But over one lap the time is in the last sector. With the rear at 8 the car is planted through the esses and you can keep your foot down where a low wing car has to lift. The front at 3 keeps the drag down.
The differential. 60% on throttle. In most of my F1 2020 setups it is 50%, fully open. A little more lock makes the two rear wheels push together, and that is what you want out of a hairpin onto a 1.5 km straight. The price is a little more understeer on power in the fast corners. 55% off throttle keeps the rear calm when you lift between the walls.
The tyre pressures. 21.0 psi front and 19.5 psi rear, the lowest the menu allows. That is the biggest contact patch you can get, and it is what 18 of my 22 setups run.
The camber. Front -2.50, the least the game allows, so the tyre is flat on the road when you brake for the hairpins. Rear -2.00, the most in my list, to hold the rear in the long fast corners of the last sector.
The biggest anti-roll bar split in the menu
Front anti-roll bar 1, rear 11. You cannot make the gap any bigger. Only my China setup does the same.
It works like this. The soft front bar lets the front tyres share the load, so the front has grip. The stiff rear bar does the opposite at the back, so the rear is light in a change of direction. Together they make the car turn. In the esses that is lap time, because the car changes direction as fast as you can move the wheel.
It also makes the rear nervous. If you turn in on the brakes or jump on the throttle with steering on, it will go. Be smooth with your hands and feet in the last sector.
The springs follow the same idea, 1 at the front and 9 at the rear. Ride height is 1 and 4. The rear is one click higher than on most of my list, so the floor does not hit the kerbs in the esses.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
There are three big stops in the lap: turn 1, the hairpin complex at the far end of the track and turn 11 after the 1.5 km straight. All three are in a straight line, so 50% bias works. If the fronts lock at turn 11, where you arrive at top speed, take a little pressure off before you touch the bias.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The rear snaps in the esses | Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9 | A softer rear bar gives grip in a change of direction |
| Front tyres lock into turn 11 | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| Understeer on power in the fast corners | On throttle differential 60% to 55% | A more open differential lets the car turn |
| Wheelspin out of the hairpins | Rear wing 8 to 9 | More rear downforce helps traction |
| The car bottoms out on the kerbs | Rear ride height 4 to 5 | More room under the floor |
| The front washes wide in the esses | Front wing 3 to 4 | More front downforce at speed |
| Too slow on the 1.5 km straight | Rear wing 8 to 7 | Less drag. Less grip in the last sector |
For a race
A setup with the rear bar at 11 is fast for one lap and hard work for twenty. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear anti-roll bar 11 to 9. A mistake in the last sector is a wall, not a run off area.
- Rear wing 8 to 7. Only if you are racing in a pack. On a straight this long, top speed is how you pass and how you defend.
- Brake pressure 100% to 95%. A heavy car locks its fronts 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 soften the rear bar to 8 and take the brake pressure down to around 90%.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Keep it for the 1.5 km straight. The hairpin at the end of it is the best place to pass on the whole track.
Where the lap time is in Hanoi
- Turn 1 and turn 2. A hard stop into a tight left, then a long loop to the right. Brake in a straight line and wait. If you go in too fast at turn 1, you are off line for all of turn 2.
- Turn 3 to turn 5. Quick left and right onto the first long straight. The exit is what counts. Open the wheel early.
- The hairpin complex. At the far end of the track the road folds back on itself. Slow in, and keep the car tight so you can go to full throttle once and stay there.
- The 1.5 km straight. It bends on the way, flat out. Nothing to do but keep the car straight and breathe.
- Turn 11. The biggest stop of the lap. You arrive at top speed. Brake early the first few laps and move your marker forward one step at a time.
- The esses. The last sector is one corner into the next with walls on both sides. Every corner sets up the one after it, so a small mistake at the start costs you all the way through. Use less steering than you think.
- The last corners. A long left onto the pit straight. Be patient with the throttle, then let the car run out to the wall.
If you take one thing from this page: the last sector is a rhythm. Go through it at 95% until you never touch a wall, then look for time.
Vietnam in 2020
The Vietnamese Grand Prix was meant to be a new race in 2020. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke next to the national stadium in Hanoi, part street and part purpose built, and it was finished in February 2020. Some of its corners were modelled on corners from Monaco, Suzuka, Sepang and the Nürburgring.
Then the race was postponed, and in October 2020 it was cancelled. It was dropped from the 2021 calendar too. No Formula 1 race has been held there.
So this is a rare thing in a racing game. You are not learning a track you saw on television. Nobody has a real race lap to copy. The game used it as a round of the official 2020 F1 Esports Series, and that is the closest it came to a Grand Prix.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Hanoi in the game's calendar is Sakhir, with my F1 2020 Bahrain setup, and the next one is Shanghai, with my F1 2020 China setup.
Hanoi is only in F1 2020, so there is no setup for it in the other games. The closest thing in this one is my F1 2020 Baku setup, another street track with a very long straight.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Vietnam?
Front wing 3, rear wing 8, differential 60% on throttle and 55% off, suspension 1 and 9, anti-roll bars 1 and 11, ride height 1 and 4, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.0 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run in Hanoi in F1 2020?
3 at the front and 8 at the rear for time trial. In a race with cars around you, 7 at the rear gives you more speed on the 1.5 km straight.
Can I use this Vietnam setup in a race?
Yes, with a softer rear anti-roll bar. I would go from 11 to 9 and take the brake pressure to 95%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes, but the rear is lively. I would soften the rear anti-roll bar to 8 and lower the brake pressure to around 90%.
Was the Vietnam Grand Prix ever held?
No. The 2020 race was cancelled and it never came back on the calendar. The full circuit has never been used for a Formula 1 race.
Is the Hanoi Circuit in other F1 games?
No. F1 2020 is the only game with the full circuit, because it kept the original 2020 calendar.
How long is the Hanoi Circuit?
5.613 km, with 23 corners in the final design. It runs anticlockwise.