+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ ! Car SET UPS ! +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ ! for ! +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ ! F O R M U L A O N E 2 0 0 4 ! +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ GAME: FORMULA ONE 2004 PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION 2 GENRE: Racing CREATOR: SONY AUTHOR OF THIS FAQ: Raffaele Busa E-MAIL: raffostar(at)libero(dot)it FAQ VERSION: FINAL ______________________________________________________________________________ -TABLE OF CONTENTS- 1. LEGAL STUFF 2. VERSION INFORMATION 3. INTRODUCTION 4. THINGS YOU MUST KNOW 5. CAR SET UPS 6. TEAMS OVERVIEW 7. UNLOCKABLES 8. TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SET UP 9. THANKS 10. CONCLUSION ______________________________________________________________________________ +******************+ ! 1. LEGAL STUFF !*********************************************************/ +******************+ This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advanced permission from the author. Use of this guide on any other web sit or as part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All content in this guide is Copyright 2004 by Raffaele Busa. Only the sites listed below have permission to publish this work or to display it: www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com www.supercheats.com faqs.ign.com If you wish to put this guide on your site, e-mail me and ask. Save yourself the headache of putting up with lawsuits and whatnot because you failed to ask a simple "Can I post your guide on ?". If you wish to use info in this guide, please acknowledge that you have done so. If I don't respond or I say no, accept it as fact. In addition, do not modify this guide in any way whatsoever to suit your purposes. The latest version can always be found at www.gamefaqs.com, www.neoseeker.com and www.supercheats.com. If you see this guide on any other site then the one listed above, please e-mail me. If you wish to ask questions or give input to this guide, please e-mail me. Just have Formula One 2004 as the subject so I know it isn't spamming or another advertisement of a porno site who wants to connect me to Hawaii.. I must apologize for all of the grammar mistakes you will find, but my English is only fair, so just, please, tolerate me. +**************************+ ! 2. VERSION INFORMATION !*************************************************/ +**************************+ Version 1.00 08/16/04: Born of this guide. Version 1.10 08/17/04: Some minor fixes in Hungaroring, added team overview section, unlockables and the "your posted set ups" section (still empty), completed some parts of "tips on how to make a good set ups". Version 1.20 08/18/04: Changes in Nurburgring and Australia set up, gave the permission to post this faq at the web site www.neoseeker.com, added the "things you must know" section, completed the "tips on how to make a good set up" section. Version 1.30 08/21/04: Added all missing transmissions of 6 gears cars, started testing the default set ups (just for compare their times with my set ups times; under request by First Ascent), gave the permission to post this faq at the web site www.supercheats.com. Version 1.40 08/24/04: Only minor fixes, working on the implementation of some suggestions and explanations. Version FINAL 09/01/04: Removed the "Your posted set ups" section, completed the suggested set ups, with some surprises for Albert Park and Magny Course. As you can see this is the final version of this faq, i'm just going to leave F1 04 for a while, cos I'm about to play at Energy Airforce Aimstrike, another simulation, another genre.. I hope you all can have fun with Formula 1 2004 as much as i had when playing and, of course, winning.. +***************+ ! 3. OVERVIEW !************************************************************/ +***************+ Here it is, my first FAQ. It is born cos there isn't anyone already available for this wonderful game, and cos there are always people asking about some good set ups for improve thier lap times, while obviously driving a user- friendly car (with good speed, acceleration and handling, of course. The presented set-ups may or may not work for everyone, depending on chosen car, driving style, level of concentration, positioning of the planets, etc, so don't bother me with mail saying "hey, u're damn set up sucks, it it terrible, i can't manage to pass my grandmother while in the straightway at full speed" an so on.. By this time, not all the set ups are the best one i can suggest, but i'm continuosly working for improve them all. I found that they doesn't work well for ferrari, dunno why, but i will open a new section when i will have finish to set them for all the tracks. +**************************+ ! 4. THINGS YOU MUST KNOW !*************************************************/ +**************************+ Here are some hints and things you must know about the game: they will help you alot!!! ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... L1 = this is the launch control button. When a race is about to start, and the lights are turning on, hold the L1 button down and accelerate (hold down the X button or pull up the right analogue stick), and at the moment the lights turn off, release the L1 button while still accelerating, and you will have a great start without losing in acceleration and with no penalties. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... SELECT = it is assigned for pit stops: when you press it, the icon of the garage in the bottom left turns red, and the assistant will tell you to wait for his order to get in the pit lane; when the icon will turn green, and the assistant will tell you they're ready, you can go for the pit stops, with no risk of a blank passage in the pit lane. If you're playing with the 50% of the total laps (while in simulation mode), or more, of the track, you will be asked to choose the strategy for the race, between 1, 2, 3 or 4 pit stops during the race. If you choose 1 pit stop, you will drive a heavier car, with less acceleration than other cars, but you will lose less time comparised to other pilots who decided 2 or 3 pit stops; if you choose 4 pit stops, you will have a very accelerating car, but you will have to pit often than others, so you will lose time during the pit stops. 2 and 3 choises are a middle way between the other two ones.. During the race, the lap before the programmed pit stop, your garage icon will turn blue, and the assistant will remember you to stop the next lap, but NOT IN THAT LAP! You only have to do another lap, and when you come close to pit lane, the assistant will tell you to come in, and so you will be able to do the pit stop, without having to push the SELECT button. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... RIGHT ANALOGUE STICK = it allows you to accelerate and brakes, as the X and [] buttons, but it is more accurate than the other two, so it is preferrable to learn how to master it. It will allows you the possibility of easily better your lap times, and it will give you a very big and happy smile!! ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... TEST DRIVER OR 1st/2nd DRIVER? = It appears that many of you can't choise if accept a place as a test driver in a good team, or stay in a bad team but trying to win the championship: the answer is simple. If you choise the test driver contract, you will miss at least 4 GPs, and in all of them M. Schumacher will win or go on the podium (except for Catalunya: when the CPU simulates it, it always go to some poor team, like jordan or minardi or sauber.. Why???), so if you're going to accept this one, you must be sure to be able to win all of the remaining tracks, or at least to go draw with the pilot championship number one.. And remember you must pass 2 tests before becoming the 2nd driver. If you remain to your old team, you can have more offer in the end of the season, so you will be able to go for points in all of the remaining tracks, maybe winning the championship, and then the next season you can accept a better contract with another team, miss the first 5 GPs and, after passing 2 tests, becoming the 2nd driver just in time for the monaco GP.. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... TURNS = when you become close to a turn, if you have activated their icon in the option menů, you will be advised of how much the turn is dangerous, only by the color the turn it is represented: if it is bright green, you can take it at the high speed you can have, but if it is bright red, you must brake at all! The color, when braking, passes from red to dark red, dark green and bright green, so you know how well you can take that turn at your current speed. +******************+ ! 5. CAR SET UPS !*********************************************************/ +******************+ Here they are, I hope you can find them useful! Generally: Tyres: always SOFT Brake Bias 1: always 35/65 (only used while testing default set ups, another good choice if u don't like 30/70 brake bias) Brake Bias 2: always 45/55 (2nd useful one) Brake Bias 3: always 30/70 (1st useful one, usually, THIS must be used, except when contrarily indicated in brakes setting) Default Traction control: always FULL Steering Angle: always 80° All the best laps were done without the use of any short cuts, they can easily be improved by skilled drivers, co I'm not so good if driving in games, however best AI times are the lowest i have ever found, but they manage to run as indicated only in qualyfing session, cos during the race they drive with at least 1 sec more slow (unfortunately, this isn't true in all the tracks). About the "Default Set Up Best Lap": I'm testing all the tracks' default settings, just for be sure my set ups are useful, every time I let the settings as they are, except for tyres (-->soft), brakes (-->thin), downforce and ride height (as I suggest in my set ups: for example, in Australia I will set front wing to 6° and rear wing to 13°, and ride height at 3.6), I always use a BMW car (so, I only test them with a 7 gears car..). All my set ups are of the oversteering (and, often, VERY oversteering) kind, so if u don't like oversteering cars, these settings are not a good choise for you; the default settings are of the neutral kind, and often quite a bit understeering too. I also added a symbol near all of the tracks, that will help you deciding if use one my set ups, or a default set up with some changes, or indifferently one of the two choises. I placed them on the extreme right of the name of the track. Here it is the explanation of the three symbols: XXX = Not a porno, but u might prefer my suggested set up, instead of the default one.. OOO = Better the default set up (+ some changes, read notes on the selected track) than my set up (d'oh!). [][][] = It is indifferent to choise one or another (very near best times). ______________1) Circuit: Australia (Albert Park)______________________--> OOO Brakes: medium Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +2.5° Ride Height: 3.6 Front Bump: -7200 Rear Bump: -6500 Front Rebound: -9600 Rear Rebound: -9400 Front Anti-roll Bar: 60000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 190000 Gearbox: speed 1- 16.5 1- 19.6 2- 14.2 2- 16.6 3- 11.9 3- 14.0 4- 9.9 4- 11.4 5- 8.3 5- 9.6 6- 7.0 6- 8.0 7- 7.0 Best Lap: 1:25.301 AI Best Lap: 1:25.475 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:25.099 Lap in Career Mode: 12 Note: it is the first of 2 tracks where it is preferrable to use the default settings, with (as minor changes), the use of my suggested downforce, ride height, and of course the implementation of thin brakes and soft tyres. ______________2) Circuit: Malaysia (Sepang)_________________________--> [][][] Brakes: thin Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +6.0° Ride Height: 3.7 Front Bump: -6500 Rear Bump: -7200 Front Rebound: -9300 Rear Rebound: -9900 Front Anti-roll Bar: 75000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 180000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:29.361 AI Best Lap: 1:29.619 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:29.440 Lap in Career Mode: 12 ______________3) Circuit: Bahrain (Sakhir)_____________________________--> XXX Brakes: medium Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: -6.0° Ride Height: 4.8 Front Bump: -7800 Rear Bump: -7300 Front Rebound: -10000 Rear Rebound: -9700 Front Anti-roll Bar: 30000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 150000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:29.480 AI Best Lap: 1:30.022 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:30.401 Lap in Career Mode: 12 ______________4) Circuit: San Marino (Imola)___________________________--> XXX Brakes: medium Front Wing: 7° Rear Wing: 14° Camber Angle: -6.0° Ride Height: 4.1 Front Bump: -7400 Rear Bump: -6800 Front Rebound: -9600 Rear Rebound: -9600 Front Anti-roll Bar: 60000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 165000 Gearbox: speed 1- 20.0 1- 19.6 2- 17.1 2- 16.6 3- 13.5 3- 14.0 4- 10.9 4- 11.4 5- 8.1 5- 9.6 6- 7.0 6- 8.0 7- 7.0 Best Lap: 1:15.720 AI Best Lap: 1:17.634 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:17.879 Lap in Career Mode: 13 ______________5) Circuit: Spain (Catalunya)____________________________--> XXX Brakes: medium Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: -4.0° Ride Height: 4.5 Front Bump: -7000 Rear Bump: -7000 Front Rebound: -9300 Rear Rebound: -9700 Front Anti-roll Bar: 60000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 165000 Gearbox: speed 1- 16.5 1- 19.6 2- 14.2 2- 16.1 3- 11.9 3- 13.0 4- 9.9 4- 10.4 5- 8.3 5- 8.6 6- 6.5 6- 7.0 7- 6.0 Best Lap: 1:12.661 AI Best Lap: 1:13.204 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:13.580 Lap in Career Mode: 14 ______________6) Circuit: Monaco (Monaco)______________________________--> XXX Brakes: medium, 45/55 Front Wing: 8° Rear Wing: 16° Camber Angle: -3.0° Ride Height: 6.2 Front Bump: -7500 Rear Bump: -7300 Front Rebound: -9500 Rear Rebound: -9300 Front Anti-roll Bar: 70000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 220000 Gearbox: acceleration 1- 20 2- 16.7 3- 13.9 4- 11.4 5- 9.3 6- 7.5 Best Lap: 1:11.980 AI Best Lap: 1:12.496 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:12.620 Lap in Career Mode: 16 Notes: for 7 gears cars, only ACCELERATION ______________7) Circuit: Europe (Nurburgring)_________________________--> XXX Brakes: heavy, 25/75 Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +2.0° Ride Height: 5.7 Front Bump: -6500 Rear Bump: -7100 Front Rebound: -9400 Rear Rebound: -9600 Front Anti-roll Bar: 55000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 175000 Gearbox: speed 1- 16.5 1- 19.1 2- 14.2 2- 16.1 3- 11.9 3- 13.0 4- 9.9 4- 10.4 5- 8.3 5- 9.1 6- 7.0 6- 7.5 7- 6.5 Best Lap: 1:26.401 AI Best Lap: 1:26.073 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:27.000 Lap in Career Mode: 12 ______________8) Circuit: Canada (Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve)___________--> XXX Brakes: thin Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: -3.5° Ride Height: 4.6 Front Bump: -7100 Rear Bump: -6900 Front Rebound: -9400 Rear Rebound: -9100 Front Anti-roll Bar: 75000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 200000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:08.900 AI Best Lap: 1:11.198 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:10.099 Lap in Career Mode: 14 ______________9) Circuit: United States (Indianapolis)______________--> [][][] Brakes: heavy Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +6.0° Ride Height: 3.8 Front Bump: -6600 Rear Bump: -6300 Front Rebound: -9200 Rear Rebound: -9400 Front Anti-roll Bar: 50000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 165000 Gearbox: speed 1- 17.5 1- 19.6 2- 14.2 2- 16.1 3- 11.4 3- 13.0 4- 9.4 4- 10.4 5- 7.3 5- 8.6 6- 6.0 6- 7.0 7- 6.0 Best Lap: 6 gears --> 1:08.279 7 gears --> 1:07.600 AI Best Lap: 1:08.258 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:07.880 (remember, 7 gears car) Lap in Career Mode: 15 ______________10) Circuit: France (Nevers Magny-Cours)_________________--> OOO Brakes: heavy Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +2.5° Ride Height: 6.0 Front Bump: -6500 Rear Bump: -6900 Front Rebound: -9200 Rear Rebound: -9400 Front Anti-roll Bar: 55000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 175000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:12.079 AI Best Lap: 1:12.302 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:12.081 Lap in Career Mode: 14 Note: here is the second track where it is preferrable to use the default settings, with the same changes as in Australia; it could seems strange, cos my time and the default ones are about the same, but when doing tests, i was able to obtain the default time at the 3rd lap, while for the "my set up" time it came only at the 10th or 11th lap.. So just make your own conclusion.. ______________11) Circuit: Great Britain (Silverstone)_________________--> XXX Brakes: heavy, 45/55 Front Wing: 7° Rear Wing: 14° Camber Angle: -6.0° Ride Height: 5.0 Front Bump: -6700 Rear Bump: -7200 Front Rebound: -9100 Rear Rebound: -9300 Front Anti-roll Bar: 70000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 165000 Gearbox: speed 1- 17.0 1- 19.1 2- 14.2 2- 16.1 3- 11.9 3- 14.0 4- 9.9 4- 11.9 5- 8.3 5- 9.6 6- 7.0 6- 8.0 7- 7.0 Best Lap: 1:16.739 --> I could have cutted the track, must test this 1 again AI Best Lap: 1:18.480 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:20.319 Lap in Career Mode: 12 Notes: watch out for the first "red" chicane, it is indicate too late! (For chicane I intend a fast sequence of 2 turns, one opposite the other. In Silverstone, they're the turn 8 and turn 9, also named the "CLUB" turns; it is something like this: (_ ) It is the first very bright red turn) 7th gears doesn't work well on best cars, for them it is better the default SPEED setting. ______________12) Circuit: Germany (Hockenheim)_____________________--> [][][] Brakes: heavy Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +6.0° Ride Height: 5.0 Front Bump: -6900 Rear Bump: -7100 Front Rebound: -9300 Rear Rebound: -9800 Front Anti-roll Bar: 70000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 195000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:14.360 AI Best Lap: 1:14.606 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:14.520 Lap in Career Mode: 14 ______________13) Circuit: Hungary (Hungaroring)_______________________--> XXX Brakes: heavy Front Wing: 8° Rear Wing: 16° Camber Angle: +6.0° Ride Height: 4.9 Front Bump: -7300 Rear Bump: -7500 Front Rebound: -9600 Rear Rebound: -9600 Front Anti-roll Bar: 35000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 155000 Gearbox: speed 1- 17 1- 19.0 2- 14.2 2- 16.5 3- 11.9 3- 14.3 4- 9.9 4- 11.5 5- 8.3 5- 10.2 6- 7.0 6- 8.3 7- 7.1 Best Lap: 1:13.720 AI Best Lap: 1:13.718 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:14.919 Lap in Career Mode: 14 ______________14) Circuit: Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)_________________--> XXX Brakes: medium Front Wing: 7° Rear Wing: 14° Camber Angle: -4.5° Ride Height: 5.2 Front Bump: -6500 Rear Bump: -6700 Front Rebound: -9300 Rear Rebound: -9600 Front Anti-roll Bar: 70000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 200000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:39.981 AI Best Lap: 1:42.089 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:42.819 Lap in Career Mode: 9 ______________15) Circuit: Italy (Monza)_______________________________--> XXX Brakes: heavy, 45/55 Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: -6.0° Ride Height: 4.0 Front Bump: -6000 Rear Bump: -8000 Front Rebound: -9000 Rear Rebound: -10000 Front Anti-roll Bar: 100000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 125000 Gearbox: speed 1- 16.0 1- 17.1 2- 14.7 2- 14.6 3- 11.9 3- 12.0 4- 9.4 4- 9.9 5- 7.3 5- 8.1 6- 6.0 6- 7.0 7- 6.0 Best Lap: 1:18.761 AI Best Lap: 1:19.979 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:22.239 Lap in Career Mode: 11 ______________16) Circuit: China (Shangai International Circuit)_______--> XXX Brakes: heavy Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: +1.5° Ride Height: 4.1 Front Bump: -6200 Rear Bump: -7600 Front Rebound: -9200 Rear Rebound: -9600 Front Anti-roll Bar: 90000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 150000 Gearbox: speed 1- 20.0 1- 19.1 2- 16.7 2- 15.6 3- 13.4 3- 13.5 4- 10.9 4- 10.9 5- 8.3 5- 9.1 6- 6.5 6- 7.0 7- 6.0 Best Lap: 1:32.261 AI Best Lap: 1:34.430 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:32.680 Lap in Career Mode: 12 ______________17) Circuit: Japan (Suzuka)___________________________--> [][][] Brakes: medium Front Wing: 7° Rear Wing: 14° Camber Angle: -2.5° Ride Height: 5.1 Front Bump: -7800 Rear Bump: -7800 Front Rebound: -9200 Rear Rebound: -9200 Front Anti-roll Bar: 40000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 240000 Gearbox: speed Best Lap: 1:33.161 AI Best Lap: 1:36.168 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:33.360 Lap in Career Mode: 11 ______________18) Circuit: Brazil (Interlagos)______________________--> XXX(?) Brakes: thin Front Wing: 6° Rear Wing: 13° Camber Angle: -5.0° Ride Height: 7.0 Front Bump: -7700 Rear Bump: -6200 Front Rebound: -9700 Rear Rebound: -9300 Front Anti-roll Bar: 95000 Rear Anti-roll Bar: 130000 Gearbox: speed 1- 16.5 1- 21.5 2- 14.2 2- 18.1 3- 11.9 3- 15.0 4- 9.9 4- 11.9 5- 8.3 5- 9.6 6- 6.5 6- 7.5 7- 6.5 Best Lap: 1:09.840 AI Best Lap: 1:09.787 Best Lap with Default Settings (Career Mode): 1:12.000 Lap in Career Mode: 15 +*********************+ ! 6. TEAMS OVERVIEW !******************************************************/ +*********************+ Here is a quick overview for all the cars in the game, just for know pros and cons while signing a contract with one team or another in career mode, or only when choosing your car in simulation mode. This is how all of the teams will be judged; obviously, the rate will also depends from your driving skills, and if you use a correct set up for your car (an high downforce on a fast track will obviously penalize you). I want to make that clear, these votes depend on the feelings the cars gave to me, but because everyone has a different way of drive, these rates can't be the definitive ones for all of you out there, so just try every car and then choose your preferite ones. Speed: the max it is, the faster your car will go. Acceleration: quick acceleration allows you to reach your max speed faster than the opponents, giving you an advantage in time. Handling: The better it is, the comfortable is driving your car while cornering turns and passing the other cars. >>> Ferrari <<< Speed: very good Acceleration: wonderful Handling: good >>> Williams BMW <<< Speed: wonderful Acceleration: wonderful Handling: wonderful >>> McLaren Mercedes <<< Speed: very good Acceleration: very good Handling: wonderful >>> Renault <<< Speed: very good Acceleration: very good Handling: very good >>> Bar Honda <<< Speed: very good Acceleration: good Handling: good >>> Sauber Petronas <<< Speed: good Acceleration: good Handling: fair >>> Jaguar Racing <<< Speed: good Acceleration: good Handling: very good >>> Panasonic Toyota Racing <<< Speed: very good Acceleration: good Handling: good >>> Jordan Ford <<< Speed: good Acceleration: fair Handling: fair >>> Wilux Minardi Cosworth <<< Speed: good Acceleration: fair Handling: very good And now try to understand what is my preferite team.. Btw, I did all my best laps with it, only a few others with other teams. +******************+ ! 7. UNLOCKABLES !*********************************************************/ +******************+ Here it is what I've Unlocked so far, and the way it was found (thanks to Ferza for refreshing my memory, I wasn't able to remember what cars I've unlocked in all the modes): --> Williams FW14B: win a single arcade race. --> Lotus 72E: win a simulation season at any difficult. --> Jordan 121: win the arcade season. --> Renault RE20: complete all 5 career years and, probably, by winning at least one pilot and one team championship. --> An alternative intro: by doing a first time in time attack By what I've read in the web and in the boards, it must be everything there were to unlock, but i wish there are some hidden tracks to find out, dunno how. +****************************************+ ! 8. TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SET UP !***********************************/ +****************************************+ This section will allow you to understand some of the secrets of cars settings in order to make you able to improve my posted set ups, and of course to find your own ones. ++++ Gear/transmission ++++ Transmission must be adapted correctly to all of the tracks. When you regulate 6th7/th gear, you change the top speed of your car: the longer it is, the highest is the speed but it also take more time to go to the max allowed; the shorter it is, the highest is the acceleration, but you will have less max speed allowed. You have to regulate 6th/7th gear by running the fastest straightway of the track (or the fastest part of the track), if u reach the max torque too fast, the gear is too short, if you never reach the max torque the gear is too long. For the 1st gear it is also the same: just go to the slowest turn of the track, then take it at full speed while in 1st gear: if u can't reach the max torque, the gear is too long, if u reach it too fast, the gear is too short. By the way, I adjusted only fews 1st gears, but i always controlled the 6th/7th gear, and tried to obtain the best acceleration by calculating the 2/3 of the difference between the 6th/7th gear and the 1st one, and then applying that result to the 4th gear. An example to explain this: If I have 1st = 18.0 and 6th (or) 7th = 6.0 the difference will be 18 - 6 = 12.0 So the 4th gear will be 4th = 12.0 and then i divide the other gears from about the same quantity. ++++ Steering angle ++++ Set the steering angle of the car high enough for allowing you to corner correctly in the slowest turn of the track; the higher the angle, the fastest you can take the turn, but also you will consume faster your tyres. By default, I always put this angle at 80° (the max allowed by the game), but if you want to do from about 50% to 100% of the toal laps of a track, you can diminish it until you find the correct one, so your tyres will last longer. ++++ Downforce ++++ This is what allows to your car to stay on the ground, while cornering a tight turn at the max speed you can take it. It is splitted between the front wing and the rear wing; you can set their angle, so you can raise or low the downforce they generate: the higher they are, the more stable will be your car, but also will be slow; the lower they are, the faster will go your car, but it is also less manoeuvrable. I suggest to regulate gears after you choose what angle the wings will have. This will also influence your brake time: less is the angle, faster the brakes must be. If the car is understeering, raise the front wing; if it is oversteering, raise the rear wing. Even if there is too much difference between front and rear wings, you can have an understeering car: the rule is: never use a rear wing higher than the double plus 1° of the front wing (e. g.: if your front wing is 7°, your rear wing can be 10°, 11°, 12°, 13°, 14° and 15°, but with 16° there could be some handling problems). ++++ Brakes ++++ Brakes regulation consist in distributing braking force between front and rear brakes; if it isn't done correctly, wheels don't brake at their full potential. Brakes regulation influence your turn entrance: if it is regulates back, rear brakes will block first, and your car will oversteer, but a car that block front brakes first it is easier to driver. If you have problems in handling the car while braking (understeer), just increase rear brakes (for example, from 35/65 to 30/70), but if your car is unstable when braking and it oversteer, increase front brakes (from 60/40 to 65/35). Brakes are divided in thin, medium and thick ones: the difference between each other consist in the duration of them during a race, and in the way they contribute to the brake velocity while braking. Thin brakes will allow you to reach higher car speed, but they consume fast and they need to be used some meters more before the correct start of the braking point, while entering a turn; otherwise, thick brakes will allow you to brakes correctly some meters after the correct "starting brake point", but they limit your higher speed. Medium ones are an halfway from the other two. So, while playing the career mode, or any other mode with a number of laps less than 50%, you can always use thin brakes, but when going for longer race i wish you to use the brake setting i suggested. ++++ Tyres ++++ These are simple: without them you can't go anywhere. You choose them based on the weather (damn, I want an indication of what the weather is BEFORE entering the race!!), so you can have the slick (dry tracks), the wet ones (don't remember their names) and the intermediate (that you use only if it is sunny or cloudy but the track is still wet, or if it is raining a little). Of course, you can choose between soft and hard ones, too: soft ones are the best in grip, but they will consume fast, hard ones will last for about all of the track but they won't allow you to go faster in turns as the soft ones. ++++ Camber angle ++++ It is positive when wheels at ground level "come back" in direction of the car (like \/), negative when they "go out" from the direction of the car (like /\). It allows the tyres to be used at all while in turns. ++++ Ride height ++++ It is the distance of the bottom of the car from the ground; it lowers the center of gravity, allowing the car itself to roll and pitch less, and also increase the downforce when the height is lowered, without changing the max speed (no air turbolence). If u lower the ride height, you better the agility of the car while entering turns, in direction changes and while braking; you nedd to raise the height if the car rubs the ground (or you can only harden bumps and rebounds). ++++ Bumps & Rebounds ++++ They are parts of the suspension, and the anti-roll bar, too. Their work consist in dissipate shock assorbers' oscillations, and they do this when the car enter or exit a turn, brakes or accelerate, or when it passes over kerbs or humps. What bumps and rebounds do, it is not the same if the wheel comes near the body (compression) or if it goes away from the body itself (extension); while in compression, they control the car movements over humps, while in extension, they control roll velocity and the grip in turns (when entering and exiting them). If the car seems to jump over kerbs or humps, when accelerating, soften rear rebounds, if not the front one, too. If the car seems to jump over kerbs or humps, when braking, soften front rebounds, if not the back one, too. If the car oscillate too much after a hump or a kerb, making tyres slide when accelerating or braking, harden front and rear rebounds. If the car is slow while entering or exiting turns, harden front and rear bumps. If the car is understeering, soften front bumps, and eventually harden the rear ones. If the car is oversteering, soften rear bumps, and eventually harden the front ones. Remember that if you have soft suspensions, better they absorb humbs, so you have better grip, but it will also diminish the power of your brakes. It will also allow you to have more grip in turns, but you will have more difficult while entering and exiting turns. ++++ Anti-roll bar ++++ Its work consist in set a limit to the roll the car can have while entering and, of course, exiting a turn. It is the first setting you must change if your car is understeering or oversteering. If the car is understeering, you must soften the front anti-roll bar. If the car is oversteering, you must soften the rear anti-roll bar. +************+ ! 9. THANKS !***************************************************************/ +************+ I must thanks all the people in the board, cos with all their topics I was able to understand many aspects of the game, and to write this faq. Thanks to Sony, too, for producing every year a F1 game that is (for about the 90%) the best simulation of real Formula One. Thanks to my friend Enrico, who transmitted me the passion of race genres, and at all of the web sites and books I read for learning something in cars set ups. +*****************+ ! 10. CONCLUSION !**********************************************************/ +*****************+ Again, i hope to be of any help for everyone out there, I know that most of you are able pilot who doesn't need a guide for find the right set up, and win everything there is to win in this game, but for all who doesn't want to spend their time trying to understand the mechanicals of formula one car settings, here it is a beginner guide that can, probably, satisfy them. Have fun with this wonderful game!