F1 Setup Tips: Suspension Geometry
Hey Top Driver!
Welcome to a new blog post crafted by Setup and Telemetry Specialist Massimo Zecchinelli.
Today, we’re diving into Setup, specifically: Suspension Geometry.
In F1 23, when we talk about Suspension Geometry, we're referring to Camber and Toe.
These are two often underestimated values.
In fact, they play a significant role in determining tire performance and, more generally, the behavior of your car.
That’s why we need to analyze them in more detail.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- The basics of camber and toe
- The effects of adjusting these parameters
Let's get started!
Basic Concepts to Consider
The goal of good suspension geometry is to help you extract as much traction as possible from your tires.
The first important distinction to make is that camber is primarily used to equalize tire operating temperatures.
Toe, on the other hand, improves the car’s balance and responsiveness.
Additionally, changes to camber and toe are fine-tuning adjustments.
Therefore, they should be the last parameters you modify.
Now, let’s look at the adjustable parameters in the setup, under the heading SUSPENSION GEOMETRY.
Front Camber
Regarding camber, which is the angle formed between the vertical axis of the wheels and the vertical axis of the vehicle as seen from the front, higher negative values at the front help achieve more grip during cornering, thanks to a larger contact patch of the outer tire.
More negative degrees will also benefit the grip in long, fast corners and overall stability.
On the downside, your top speed will drop by a few km/h due to the smaller contact patch of the tires on straights, and you’ll see more pronounced tire wear if you push the values too far.
Conversely, reducing the degrees can help preserve tire wear as long as you don’t overdo it, but it will be harder to maintain grip in corners.
Rear Camber
For the rear tires, a lower camber angle is preferred as it allows for better straight-line traction and rear stability, although you’ll have to deal with a bit of oversteer.
Increasing the camber angle can reduce oversteer and improve grip in corners, but you'll struggle with straight-line traction.
Front Toe
Toe refers to the angle at which, when viewed from above, the wheels point relative to the car’s centerline.
In F1, we only have positive values, and due to the design of Formula 1 cars, we’ll talk about toe-out at the front and toe-in at the rear.
Increasing toe-out at the front axle reduces understeer and makes corner entry easier, at the cost of a more unstable car.
Conversely, reducing toe-out makes the car more stable but harder to turn into corners.
Rear Toe
For the rear axle, decreasing toe-in helps improve traction out of corners and reduces understeer.
Increasing toe-in will reduce oversteer but won’t give you ideal traction out of corners.
In conclusion
Although it is often tempting to copy the same parameters for suspension geometries...
...we encourage you to try different settings to fully understand the effects these have on the drivability of your single-seater, especially in a racing context, where proper tire wear is crucial.
If you are struggling with setup and want to learn how to create setups that allow you to drive a single-seater that is sincere and 100% suited to your needs...
...continue reading our blog posts by clicking the button below:
See you soon and when in the doubt, flat out!
