Monza - Setup-Guru Forum

**Rees** · 01:43 AM

Hello.

I am back after a few days without any news. I spent more time for Monza then what I expected. I was trying to make a new setup using less wings and trying to get some more mechanical grip, but that was very difficult.

I can still improve this lap because I think I found a new way of thinking about setups for Monza, so I'm guessing that I can go some more inside this idea and grab a few tenths more. So, here comes the "quick guide" for Monza.

I'll start with a "tip" that it's the main point for the whole track – fast exit speeds. In Monza, the important thing is to have the best exit speeds possible. It's not worth to try to gain time by braking as late as possible, because automaticly your exit speed will be slower, and you'll carry this "weight" for a whole long straight. Basicaly, you'll gain time during the 100m that you are braking, but you'll lose time in the 1000m of the straight that follows it. So, keep this in mind for this track. A fast exit speeds is result of a good balance of the car for the exit, plus a driving line that helps you to have your car straight as soon as possible. Any loss of traction or little mistake in a corner exit here will cost you a lot of time. So, that's what you must think when driving in Monza.

You'll open the lap at around 176mph in 5th gear, shifting up to 6th gear before the main straight ends. For corner 1 (Curva Grande) you can do it in 5th or 6th gear, you choose what fits you best. I am doing it in a high rev 5th gear. It's good to slide the car into the corner managing throttle/brakes well. It's not a hard braking, you'll use it (brakes) only to keep the car away from understeer in corner entry - that's why I shift down to 5th as well. The internal part of the track is made of concrete, that means you'll find more grip there. So, keep a good speed during the whole corner, always in the concrete area, and manage to reach full throttle as soon as possible. It's important here to avoid any understeer or loss of traction, specially for the exit, cause it will cost you a lot of time in the following straight. Now we have another "straight" that turns left a little bit. I am keeping 5th gear all the way here, as I am still not reaching the rev limiter. It's a very hard braking, shifting from 5th gear to 2nd gear. It's important here to manage throttle/brakes very well, so that when you shift down to 2nd gear you can immediately go on throttle for a fast exit without having any fights to keep the car stable. As after this corner you have just a small straight before another braking, that rule of fast exit speeds doesn't count much here, so you can try to brake as late as possible, just avoiding unnecessary agressiveness. You'll shift up to 3rd gear for a small time and shift back to 2nd gear for the second lesmo corner (corner 3). Now, that corner is very important, as you have a very very long straight after it. Try to reduce to 2nd gear without forcing anything in the braking, very smoothly and safe, and get back to full throttle as soon as possible for a very fast exit. The sooner you reach full throttle, the best. Try also to avoid any sliding in the exit cause you'll lose acceleration speed. Now a very long straight, with a full throttle easy left, reaching up to 6th gear and more then 200mph before the hardest braking of all, the last corner. That corner you can brake as late as possible without having problems with a good exit, as the corner is pretty long and the line you must follow for a good exit is even easier to get if you come inside very very fast. Also, you are very fast before that braking, so any meters you can get in braking means a lot of gain time. Besides, with more then 200mph you'll be carrying a lot of downforce, wich will help you to brake even harder and later, with more pressure. You'll shift down to 2nd gear and will work the whole corner for the good exit line. If you try to go on throttle too early you'll lose too much traction and your exit won't be better at all. So, the good thing to do is to keep a good corner speed in 2nd gear and when you reach a good line for the exit you push full throttle straight ahead for the exit - no fighting with the throttle, it will take too much time from you. After exiting with a good straight line and good traction, it's done. Up to 3rd gear, 4th gear and 5th gear crossing the start/finish line again.

Well, that's all for now in Monza. I can still improve my driving in some parts, but I think I am doing the first corner very fast. I am using a longer 5th gear, and it's working good there and in the next straight.

Next time I test Monza I'll try some different things that I already have in mind but I'm a bit tired of this track for now.

As always - Weather Clear, 70ºF no wind, with Full Fuel Tank (22gl).

So, here follows replay + setup...