The Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona has been on the F1 calendar for 30+ years, and it’s even better now because it’s reverted back to the old layout, with that micky mouse chicane section removed at the end, and changed back to those two fast right handers to finish the lap. Awesome!

Regarding car setup, the Catalunya track has always been considered a great track for testing all the aspects of a car’s handling – straight line speed on the pit straight, high speed cornering and low speed cornering and traction. It’s got a bit of everything, and therefore setup is a bit of a compromise, but ultimately Spain is a medium-high downforce track on F1 23.

Here’s a general baseline dry race setup for Spain for a controller user:

• Wings – 36/38
• Diff – 50/55
• Camber – -2.50/-1.00/0.02/0.18
• Suspension –  28-7-7-2-36-40
• Brakes – 100 Pressure/53 Bias
• Tyre pressures – Fronts 22.4/Rears 20.2

This setup is partially adapted from the SimRacingSetups channel’s Spain setup, but adjusted substantially for a pad users as he uses a wheel and the wing settings don’t always translate well from wheels to controllers.

Basically, you’re running a decent amount of wing to cover you in all the twisty sections, but not too much as you still need some decent top speed down the long pit straight which is also a DRS zone and a very good overtaking opportunity.

More Setup Considerations

Here’s some additional analysis and considerations when creating a race setup for Spain:

Wing levels/spacing

In terms of pure pace, you can get faster lap times using higher wing levels in the 40s, and some wheel users do, setting the rear wing much lower than the front wing (eg. 45/38).

But I find this doesn’t work on a pad and you need to put the wing closer together and even space the rear wing 2 clicks above the front wing for better stability in a race.  You also need lower wings to give decent top speed on the very long pit straight, otherwise you’re likely to get blasted past by following cars using the DRS/ERS/Slipstream combo (which is quite powerful here especially with cars now coming onto the pit straight off a very fast final corner).

Therefore mid-high 30’s wing levels seem to be optimal for race pace on a controller, but you can try pushing up to 30/40 or 40/42 and seeing how you do.

Qualifying vs Race

Track position is a bit more important at Barcelona than other tracks. Overtaking is possible here, but not the easiest, so setting good single lap pace in Quali is vital.

Putting the wings level or 1 click apart (eg. 37/38 or 39/40) for qualifying laps can help with pure lap times but the traction can be harder on a pad if the car over-rotates because the wings are too close together.

I prefer to go back to the 2 click spacing for the race for better stability, especially as the tyres start to wear over longer stints. And riding the kerb on that turn 2 left hander is HUGE for lap times – you gain several tenths when you do it right versus staying purely on the track.

Intermediate Conditions

With the DRS disabled in wet conditions, straight line speed becomes a little less important and you can add 2-3 clicks of wing for more downforce and grip in the twisty sections. And when using a pad, I think it’s also important to space the rear wing 3 clicks above the front wing for better stability and traction.

Also try reducing rear tyre pressures to minimum if not already there, and using 50 on throttle diff for best traction out of the slow speed corners also helps.

Full Wet Conditions

In more heavy rain conditions, you really can stick a lot more wing on to help. I’d recommend adding 4-5 clicks of wing to your dry setup, and also setting the rear wing 3 clicks higher than the front wing for better stability and traction on a pad.

Also use 50 On Throttle Diff if you’re not already, and raise the ride height a few clicks. Over-rotation is your enemy in the wet at Spain when using a pad, as it makes the traction much more difficult, so space your wings apart in a way that allows you to drive consistently.

Here would be the full wet controller setup I’d use at Spain:

• Wings 40/43
• Diff – 50/55
• Camber – -2.50/-1.00/0.00/0.10
• Suspension –  26-6-6-1-40-43
• Brakes – 95 Pressure/53 Bias
• Tyre pressures – Fronts 22.2/Rears minimum

You’re not going all the way to maximum wings, as you still need some top speed on the main pit straight, but you’re using high downforce for better grip in the twisty sections.

See our guide on converting dry setups to wet setups for more detailed information on this.

More Setup Resources

There’s quite a lot of variety of car setups in Spain, especially between wheel users and pad users. If you’re wanting to try and run a more aggressive setup, or check out more fine tuned car specific setups, here are some other resources to take a look at:

• F1laps.com Spain page– Another car setup forum with pages for every track, and loads of custom setups posted, both TT and race, all cars, all conditions.
• F1gamesetup.com – An even more specialized resource with custom setups, every car and every track, wet and dry weather.

Bonus Tips For Driving Round Here

Barcelona is a really popular track for league racing, but it’s not as easy to overtake as other tracks. Here are some tips for racing at Spain:

Kerbs – You need to ride the kerbs at the Turn 1/2 chicane (especially the left hand turn 2) for optimal qualifying lap time, but not too much. Just roll your wheel over them, but not any more of your car. Takes some practice to use the perfect amount of kerb without being spun off, but you gain several tenths when you get it right.

Last 2 corners – Those two fast right handers that now finish the lap can be taken at really high speed – the penultimate one sometimes flat and the last one almost flat with a very slight lift with a good setup. Work on nailing these two to get a fast exit onto the pit straight, which helps with overtaking/defending when DRS is enabled. It’s more difficult on a controller than a wheel, but you can do them both with only a very slight lift of the throttle or flat with some practice.

Tyre Wear – Is quite heavy at Catalunya, with the front left especially taking a beating because of all the high speed right handers. The red soft tyre isn’t usable for longer 50% races; it’s a Medium-Hard or Hard-Medium strategy.

Tyre temps – Also need to be kept an eye on as the successive/prolonged high speed corners puts a lot of heat in the tyres. Keep tyre pressures low and reduce to minimum if still struggling. The red soft tyre overheats quickly when used, so avoid it for longer races.