F1 23 Bahrain Setup: Online, My Team, Career Mode settings

This season may be a formality for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, but you can start your season off with a bang thanks to this F1 23 Bahrain setup. While the track remains unchanged, the cars are quite different this year.

This is thanks to big handling changes and the way traction & engine torque are dealt with. Codemasters has also opened up the setup options this year, so copying over your F1 22 setups is not an option.

Here's the ideal F1 23 Bahrain setup for you, and some adjustments you can make as you go!

F1 23 Bahrain setup

As the first race of the year and a favourite for online lobbies, Bahrain is the track that people will tend to race the most. This fast and flowing track has a lot of overtaking opportunities but also tricky corners that require a precise balance.

The tricky turn 1-3 combination is the prime overtaking opportunity but also a classic spot to spin. Likewise, turn 10 is the biggest lock-up threat in the whole game, especially in F1 23 with its changed handling.

Bahrain can also be hard on the tyres, making the right setup even more important so you can one-stop your way to victory.

Aerodynamics

While there are plenty of long straights in Bahrain, the middle sector requires a good level of aerodynamic performance. As a result, we’ve gone with a 36-32 setting this year.

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This is setting is a bit of a compromise. It is quicker for out-and-out lap time to carry a bit more wing than this, but in the race you risk being gobbled up down the straights, especially by the AI who will run a lower downforce setup. As a result, we feel this setting is a good middle-ground.

Transmission

This part of the setup dictates how the rear wheels rotate in relation to each other. Are they allowed to rotate relatively independently, or is the differential unlocked, or is their independence limited, so the differential is locked.

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For F1 23 an early “meta” is becoming apparent, though this may change as the time trial records start to tumble. We’ve gone with 55% on-throttle differential and 52% off-throttle differential.

This allows for good rotation at all times, but not so much that you’ll lose the rear. That said, if the car is a bit too loose on throttle then try a click or two more on the off-throttle diff.

Suspension geometry

Despite the changes to handling, the meta for suspension geometry hasn’t changed for F1 23, so why would we change our settings?!

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Got fully to the right for the camber values and fully to the left for toe values. That's -2.50, -1.00, 0.00, and 0.10.

Suspension

This part of the setup has had the unlocking treatment that the aerodynamics got last year. There is a much wider range of settings to pick from, but the overall principle of the setup is similar to last year.

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With that in mind we’ve gone for 30-10 on the suspension and 8-2 for the anti-roll bars. This provides good rotation for the slow corners but enough stability to get on the power with confidence and not totally lose the back. If you do feel the rear sliding as you exit corners then add a click to the rear suspension and rear anti-roll bars.

Ride height is set to 30-30, the lowest it can go. This will provide even more grip in high-speed corners but also make up for some of that extra wing down the straights. While this is the optimal setting, if you are running simulation damage and take too much kerb it can cause damage to your floor, so be careful. If you are struggling to stay consistently between the white lines then up the ride height a little just to protect yourself from damage that can’t be repaired during a race.

Brakes

Braking has changed a lot in F1 23, but the ideal settings haven’t. 100% brake pressure is still ideal, while 57% brake bias is a good spot for Bahrain.

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It is much easier to lock the brakes in F1 23, so if you aren’t using the ABS assist and find this too much then do drop the brake pressure, but just appreciate you’ll need to move your braking point back a little.

Tyres

The Pirelli rubber hasn’t changed too much for F1 23, though the PSI settings are broader this year.

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We have gone with minimum pressures across the board for this setup. This will help keep the tyres in good shape through a race, though you may need to do a little more warm-up on an outlap or formation lap.

Adjustments

These setups are intended for intermediate players who may still be using assists like traction control and ABS. However, if you are looking for an extra edge then you can try a few of these adjustments:

• Decrease the wing levels by 1-3 clicks to improve top speed
  • This will make the car less capable on turn-in and less stable in high-speed direction changes
• If the car doesn't feel like it is doing what you want on turn-in then raise the front wing a click or two
• If the car is too loose at low speeds try moving the off-throttle differential to 53/54 for more stability
• For a more "pointy" car stiffen the front suspension & anti-roll bar
  • This will make getting traction trickier
• Don't be afraid to move brake bias during the lap. More frontward will give better performance in heavy braking zones, and a rearward for lighter braking zones
  • Lockups are easier to achieve in F1 23 than previous games. Front locking is less catastrophic than rear locking, and which way you go from our mark will increase your chances of a lockup in that direction
• Add a click of tyre pressure for short online races to improve tyre warm-up!