Zandvoort is a narrow road through sand dunes. It goes up, down, over crests and around two banked corners. There is one straight and no time to rest. I raced here in Formula 3, before the banking was built.
So this F1 2020 Zandvoort setup is soft and tall. The rear springs are the softest in my whole list and the ride height is among the highest. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2020 Zandvoort setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 4 | 7 |
| Camber | -2.90 | -1.40 |
| Toe | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 3 |
| Anti-roll bar | 3 | 8 |
| Ride height | 3 | 5 |
| 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 Zandvoort
Circuit Zandvoort is 4.259 km long with 14 corners. It feels shorter than that, because one corner leads straight into the next.
The wings. 4 and 7. Look at the gap, not the numbers. On 13 of my 22 F1 2020 setups the rear wing is five clicks or more above the front. Here it is three. That puts more of the downforce on the front axle, and the car turns in. In a lap with a dozen corners and one straight, a front that bites is worth more than top speed.
The differential. 50% on throttle and 50% off. Fully open both ways. Only seven of my 22 setups are like this. An open differential lets the rear wheels turn at different speeds, so the car rotates into the corner when you lift and does not push wide when you go back to the throttle. You pay with traction. Out of turn 3 and turn 10, squeeze the throttle. Do not stamp on it.
The tyre pressures. 21.0 psi front and 19.5 psi rear, the lowest the menu allows.
The camber. Front -2.90. That is the most front camber in my whole F1 2020 list. Almost every other track is at -2.50. Zandvoort has long, fast, loaded corners like Scheivlak and the two banked turns, and there the outside front tyre does all the work. More camber keeps it flat on the road when the car leans. Rear camber is -1.40, low, to help traction.
Soft and tall
Most of my F1 2020 setups run the rear springs between 8 and 11. Here they are at 3. Nothing in my list is softer.
The reason is the road. Zandvoort is never flat. The car goes over crests, drops into compressions and climbs onto banking. A stiff car skips over all of that and loses contact with the ground. A soft car follows it. And a soft rear squats on the throttle, which gives back some of the traction the open differential takes away.
The ride height goes with it: 3 at the front and 5 at the rear. Only Spain has a rear this high. A soft car moves more, so it needs room under the floor. If you lower it, the car will hit the ground in the compression at the bottom of the banking, and when the floor touches, the grip goes all at once.
The anti-roll bars are 3 and 8. The stiffer rear bar helps the car change direction in the medium speed corners after Scheivlak.
The brakes
Brake pressure 100%, front bias 50%. Every setup in my F1 2020 database runs 100% pressure.
Zandvoort has only one big stop, Tarzan at turn 1. Most of the other corners need a short brake or a lift. So the brakes matter less here than almost anywhere else in the game. If you lock the fronts at turn 1, take the pressure down to 95% and leave it.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelspin out of turn 3 and turn 10 | On throttle differential 50% to 60% | A little lock makes both rear wheels push |
| The rear is loose in Scheivlak | Rear anti-roll bar 8 to 6 | A softer rear bar gives grip in fast corners |
| The rear slides when you lift | Off throttle differential 50% to 55% | A little lock steadies the rear on entry |
| The car feels lazy in changes of direction | Rear suspension 3 to 5 | A stiffer rear reacts faster |
| Understeer in the banked corners | Front wing 4 to 5 | More front downforce |
| The car hits the ground | Front ride height 3 to 4 | More room under the floor |
| Front tyres lock into turn 1 | Brake pressure 100% to 95% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
For a race
You cannot pass easily at Zandvoort. The track is narrow and there is one straight. So in a race the setup has to do two things: keep the tyres alive and be quick enough on the pit straight to attack or defend at turn 1. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- On throttle differential 50% to 60%. Less wheelspin on the exits, so the rear tyres last.
- Rear wing 7 to 6. Only if you are stuck behind someone. Turn 1 is the only real place to pass.
- 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 go to 60% on throttle and take the brake pressure down to around 90%. The soft rear already makes this one of the friendlier setups in my list.
F1 2020 manages the ERS for you and gives you an overtake button. Press it out of the last corner and hold it to turn 1. Qualifying matters more here than at most tracks, so save your best tyres for it.
Where the lap time is at Zandvoort
- Turn 1, Tarzan. A cambered hairpin at the end of the only real straight. Brake late, turn in from the outside and let the camber hold the car. You can use more than one line here.
- Turn 3, Hugenholtz. Banked. The high line is longer, but it gives you a better exit up the hill. Go in on the middle of the track, let the car climb and squeeze the throttle. With the differential open, the inside wheel spins if you are greedy.
- Turn 7, Scheivlak. A fast downhill right, blind on entry. Lift, turn in once and trust the car. A second steering input in the middle sends you wide.
- Turn 8 to turn 10. Medium speed corners, one after the other. Keep a little brake on as you turn in and the car rotates.
- Turn 13 and turn 14. The last corner is banked and flat out. Turn 13 before it is the one that counts. A late apex there gives you speed all the way down the pit straight.
If you take one thing from this page: the lap is about rhythm, not braking. Be early on the wheel and gentle on the throttle.
The Netherlands in 2020
Zandvoort was one of two new tracks in F1 2020, with Hanoi. The Dutch Grand Prix was coming back to the calendar, and the track was updated for it. The layout stayed the same, but turn 3 and turn 14 were given banking.
The race was planned for 3 May 2020, as the fifth round. It was cancelled, because the organisers preferred to come back a year later with spectators. Formula 1 finally raced at Zandvoort on 5 September 2021.
So when F1 2020 came out, this game was the first place anyone could drive a Formula 1 car around the new banked corners.
More F1 2020 setups
All 22 tracks are on the F1 2020 setups page. The track before Zandvoort in the game's calendar is Shanghai, with my F1 2020 China setup, and the next one is Barcelona, with my F1 2020 Spain setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2021 Zandvoort setup, my F1 23 Netherlands setup and my F1 25 Netherlands setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2020 setup for Zandvoort?
Front wing 4, rear wing 7, differential 50% on throttle and 50% off, suspension 1 and 3, anti-roll bars 3 and 8, ride height 3 and 5, brake pressure 100% with 50% front bias, and tyres at 21.0 and 19.5 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Zandvoort in F1 2020?
4 at the front and 7 at the rear for time trial. If the car understeers in the banked corners, go to 5 at the front.
Why are the springs so soft?
Because the track is never flat. A soft car follows the crests, the compressions and the banking. A stiff one skips over them and loses grip.
Can I use this Zandvoort setup in a race?
Yes. I would raise the on throttle differential to 60% to save the rear tyres and lower the brake pressure to 95%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. The soft rear makes it forgiving. I would run 60% on throttle and lower the brake pressure to around 90%.
Was there a 2020 Dutch Grand Prix?
No. It was planned for 3 May 2020 and cancelled. Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort on 5 September 2021.
How long is Circuit Zandvoort?
4.259 km with 14 corners. Turn 3 and turn 14 are banked.