F1 25 China Setup: Best Dry and Wet Car Setup

The best F1 25 China setup runs wings at 29 and 23, the differential at 90% on throttle and 25% off, suspension at 37 and 1, anti-roll bars at 1 and 8, ride height at 22 and 45 and front brake bias at 54%. It is a medium downforce setup on a very soft car. Shanghai has two of the longest corners on the calendar and a back straight of more than a kilometre, and the setup has to live with both.

The numbers come from F1Laps, which reports what the 100 fastest setups at this track have in common. I read them on 5 October 2026. I have not tested this exact setup in the game, so take it as community data. The reading of it is mine.

F1 25 China setup: dry and wet

These values are for the 2025 cars in the base game.

Why this setup works at Shanghai

The Shanghai International Circuit is 5.451 km long, has 16 corners and runs clockwise. Two things define it. The first is the long, tightening right hander of turns 1 and 2, and its mirror at turns 12 and 13. The second is the back straight that follows turn 13, which ends in the hairpin of turn 14.

Wings at 29 and 23. This is the middle of the range. 13 of the 24 tracks run less front wing and 12 run less rear wing. You need the downforce for the long corners, but every click costs you on the back straight. You can compare it with every other track in my F1 25 setups for every track.

Differential at 90% and 25%. China is one of four tracks at 90% on throttle instead of 100%, with Australia, Imola and Monaco. The off throttle value of 25% is low. Only Japan, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia go lower. An open differential off throttle helps the car turn in the long corners, where you are off the power for a long time.

Suspension at 37 and 1. This is the soft end of the game. China and Las Vegas are the only tracks with the front at 37 or less, and China is one of six tracks with the rear at 1 or less. My reading: a soft front keeps the front tyres in contact through turns 1, 2 and 13, and a soft rear gives traction out of turns 3, 6, 10 and 14.

Anti-roll bars at 1 and 8. Both are very soft. Only Japan runs a front bar as low as 1. No track runs a softer rear bar than 8, and only Austria and Monaco match it. Soft bars let the car roll and are kinder to the tyres in long corners, which is what Shanghai is made of.

Ride height at 22 and 45. The front is a little higher than usual. 14 tracks run it lower than 22 and eight, China included, sit at 22. The rear at 45 puts China among the 11 lowest tracks. My reading: the front has to stay off the ground at the end of the back straight, and the low rear cuts drag.

Brake bias at 54%. The same as 17 of the 24 tracks.

Tyres at 26 and 22 psi. Only Imola, Las Vegas and Monaco run lower front pressures. At the rear, only four tracks run more than 22.

How to drive it

Turns 1 and 2 are one corner. You arrive flat out, turn in and brake while you are turning. The corner keeps tightening for a long time. Be patient and keep the car close to the inside, because the faster you go in, the wider you are when you need to change direction for turn 3.

Get the exit of turn 3 right. It is a slow left that opens into turn 4 and a short straight. Wait for the car to rotate, then go to full throttle once. The on throttle differential at 90% helps you here.

Brake hard and straight for turn 6. It is a tight right hairpin and a good place to pass. Turn in late and use all the exit kerb.

Keep the speed in turns 7 and 8. This is the fastest part of the lap, a long left followed by a long right. A lift on the way into 7 is normally enough. If you brake, do it lightly and early. The soft car moves around here, so be smooth with the steering.

Give up turn 11 for turn 13. Turn 11 is a slow left. Turns 12 and 13 are one long right that opens onto the back straight. Go slowly into 11, stay tight in 12 and get on the throttle as early as you can. Every km/h you carry out of 13 stays with you for more than a kilometre.

Turn 14 is the best overtaking spot. It is the heaviest braking of the lap. Brake in a straight line, turn in late and do not rush the throttle, because the exit matters for the short run to the last corner.

Use the kerb on the exit of turn 16. The last corner is a medium speed left. Brake a little, turn in early and let the car run out wide to the exit kerb.

How to adjust it to your driving

Change one thing at a time and drive three clean laps before you judge it.

• The car understeers in turns 1 and 2. Add one or two clicks of front wing. If that is not enough, lower the off throttle differential from 25% to 20%.
• The car feels lazy in turns 7 and 8. Stiffen the front anti-roll bar from 1 to 4, which is what the wet set runs. A front bar at 1 is an extreme value and not everybody likes it.
• The rear steps out on the exit of turn 3, 6 or 14. Lower the on throttle differential from 90% to 80%.
• The rear is nervous when you brake and turn into turn 1. Raise the off throttle differential from 25% to 35%, which is the wet value.
• The front locks into turn 14. Move brake bias back from 54% to 53%. If it still locks, take brake pressure down to 95%.
• You get passed on the back straight in a race. Take two clicks off both wings. Expect more front tyre wear, because the car will slide more in the long corners.
• The front left tyre goes off in a long race. Add a click of front wing and be gentler on turn in at turns 1 and 13. Those two corners do most of the damage.
• You are on a controller. Start from the same numbers and lower the on throttle differential to 75 or 80%. My F1 25 controller settings cover the calibration side.

Wet setup for China

Compared with the dry setup:

• The front wing goes down from 29 to 27. The rear stays at 23.
• The off throttle differential goes up from 25% to 35%. On throttle stays at 90%.
• The front suspension stiffens from 37 to 41. The rear stays at 1.
• The front anti-roll bar goes up from 1 to 4. The rear stays at 8.
• Rear ride height goes up from 45 to 47. The front stays at 22.
• Tyre pressures change. The front left goes to 26.95 psi and the front right to 26.5 psi. The rears drop from 22 to 21.3 psi.

Brake bias stays at 54%. Camber and toe do not change.

The front left pressure is higher than the right because Shanghai is a clockwise track with long right handers, so the front left does most of the work.

In the rain, brake much earlier for turn 14 and stay off the kerbs on the exit of turns 6 and 16.

China setup for the 2026 Season Pack car

The 2026 cars arrived in F1 25 with the 2026 Season Pack. They have their own setups, and a 2025 setup does not carry over. F1Laps files these cars under F1 26. These are the sets for China as I read them on 5 October 2026.

The 2026 car runs much more wing, 41 and 28.5 against 29 and 23. The differential moves the other way from the 2025 car: 80% on throttle and 45% off. The rear suspension is far stiffer at 16, against 1 on the 2025 car. The front anti-roll bar stays at 1, brake bias is 56% and tyre pressures are higher, at 27.5 psi front left, 27 psi front right and 23 psi at the rear.

The 2026 data on F1Laps still moves from one day to the next. Treat it as a starting point and check the source before a league race.

Other tracks and older games

For another track with a long straight and heavy braking, see my F1 25 Bahrain setup. For a high downforce track where the kerbs decide the setup, see my F1 25 Imola setup. For a short lap with the same soft rear anti-roll bar, see my F1 25 Austria setup. Suzuka shares the same front anti-roll bar and rear suspension, see my F1 25 Japan setup. For the other track with the front suspension at 37, see my F1 25 Las Vegas setup. If you are on an older game, I have a China setup for F1 2020.

FAQ

What is the best setup for China in F1 25?

Wings 29 and 23, differential 90% on throttle and 25% off, camber -3.50 and -2.00, toe 0.00 and 0.10, suspension 37 and 1, anti-roll bars 1 and 8, ride height 22 and 45, brake pressure 100%, front brake bias 54%, front tyres 26 psi and rear tyres 22 psi.

What wing level should I run at Shanghai in F1 25?

29 at the front and 23 at the rear in the dry. The fastest wet setups run 27 and 23.

Why is the suspension so soft at China?

Because of the long corners. Turns 1, 2 and 13 load the front tyres for a long time, and a soft car keeps them in contact with the track. The fastest setups run the front suspension at 37, the rear at 1 and the front anti-roll bar at 1.

What is the best wet setup for China in F1 25?

Wings 27 and 23, differential 90% and 35%, suspension 41 and 1, anti-roll bars 4 and 8, ride height 22 and 47 and brake bias 54%. Front tyres run 26.95 psi on the left and 26.5 psi on the right, rears 21.3 psi.

Does the F1 25 China setup work on the 2026 cars?

No. The 2026 Season Pack car runs wings at 41 and 28.5, the differential at 80% and 45%, rear suspension at 16 and brake bias at 56%. Use the 2026 table on this page.

Where does this setup come from?

From F1Laps, which analyses the 100 fastest setups its users have driven at Shanghai. I read the numbers on 5 October 2026. They can move when the game is patched.