This weekend sees the first running of the Dutch Grand Prix since 1985. It was meant to return to the calendar last year but was one of the races cancelled during 2020.
F1 gamers have been able to race around the sweeping dunes of Zandvoort since the arrival of F1 2020, but this year the track has been much of a thrill ride thanks to the new handling of F1 2021.
But just how fast can you get around this unfamiliar track? Well the F1 2021 PC leaderboards suggest very quickly indeed!
A world record pace
Aston Martin's star Scotsman Lucas Blakeley currently holds the world record for Zandvoort, posting a 1:08.080 through the 14 corners of the Dutch track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73RgFgRQwWE
But what is his setup? Let's take a look!
Lucas Blakeley's Zandvoort setup
Blakeley's setup starts with 11-10 wings for maximum turn-in performance and a little less drag down the pit straight. It also comes with 80% on-throttle differential and 56% off-throttle differential.
That gap can induce a lot of oversteer when you get back on the power for corner-exit so be prepared to adjust your steering angle appropriately!
His suspension geometry is set as one would expect. -2.50 on the front camber and -2.00 on the rear camber, with a touch of front toe, set to 0.08 while rear toe is 0.20.
Suspension is where things get really spicy.
Blakeley runs a 2-7 suspension and 3-5 anti-roll bar. This means there is a good deal of rotation in the car, while the softer front will help the car's weight roll forward and give you intense grip on turn-in. Ride height is set to 2-6, risking bottoming out if you take too much kerb on some of the corners.
His brakes are set hyper-aggressively to 100% brake pressure and 54% brake bias. This will result in some huge lockups if you aren't very precise with your trail braking and engine braking.
Finally, his tyres are set to 21.8psi on the front and 23.5psi on the rear.
The whole setup is an enormous challenge to control, but once you get into the flow with it you can shave time off your personal best. It has huge stopping power, allowing you to dab the brakes for the middle sector and get back on the power quickly.
It's definitely a twitchy setup, and one that could be make-or-break for many players on such a tricky and unforgiving track.
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