The new F1 game is finally available to play and you'll want to finish the European season on a high thanks to our F1 23 Italy setup. Monza is one of the oldest tracks on the calendar and it hasn't changed since last year.
However, Codemasters has made radical handling changes that have altered how you need to drive to be fast. Codies has expanded setup options compared to last year, so applying your F1 22 setups won't work.
Here's the best F1 23 Italy Grand Prix setup for you, as well as some alterations that you can make to tailor it specifically to your driving style.
F1 23 Italy setup
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza has the highest top speed of any circuit on the F1 calendar. In qualifying, average speeds top 160 mph (257 kph) and cars can reach up to 230 mph (370 kph) at the end of the pit straight.
You'll be running the lowest downforce levels of the season here for optimum top-end speed. Despite this and multiple DRS zones though, passing is difficult, but the best spots are into the three chicanes.
Italy, though, isn't tough on the tyres. Your fronts will last the distance, but your rears can suffer if you're putting the power on too hard out of the chicanes. One-stops are usually the best strategy around Monza.
Aerodynamics
Straight line speed is everything in Monza. If you're not fast on the straights here, you're a sitting duck to the cars behind, it's as simple as that.
So, you'll be running the lowest wing angles of the season here. 10-7 gives you very low drag levels and enough turn-in for the Ascari chicane, Parabolica and Lesmo Curves.
click to enlarge
+ 6You could decrease the front wing angle a little, but it will hurt your tyres. Decreasing the rear angle a point or two could make passing easier, but the rear end will be very twitchy.
Transmission
The transmission settings dictate how the rear wheels rotate in relation to one another. This is the case for when you're both off and on the throttle. Your tyres will rotate in a less uniform fashion than when the diff is opened up.
click to enlarge + 6F1 23 appears to have a “meta” early on in its life cycle for the transmission settings. This can change due to updates and patches.
However, you'll need to stray a little from this for Monza due to its unique characteristics. We’ve gone with 60% on-throttle diff and 52% off-throttle diff.
This allows for good rotation both on and off the throttle. That said, if the car is a bit too loose on throttle then try turning the off-throttle diff up to 53% or 54%.
Suspension geometry
Despite the changes to handling, the meta for suspension geometry hasn’t changed from F1 22. If it ain't broke, there's no reason to fix these settings!
click to enlarge + 6Maximum camber values and minimum toe settings are best in Italy. That's -2.50, -1.00, 0.00, and 0.10. This will give you loads of grip and won't impact your tyre life too much.
Suspension
The suspension has been unlocked in a similar way to which aero got last year. There is a much wider range of settings to pick from for the suspension, but the overall principle of the setup is similar to last year.
click to enlarge + 6We’ve gone for 41-15 on the suspension and 15-1 for the anti-roll bar. This gives good turn in for the slow and medium-speed corners, but plenty of stability to get back on the power without losing the rear.
If you do feel the rear sliding as you exit corners, though, add a click or two to the rear suspension and rear anti-roll bars. If the front is too oversteery, lower the front suspension a little.
Ride height is set to 35-38, a decent amount above the lowest it can go. This produces a lot of grip through the corners without creating much drag down the straights. You'll also fly up the hill into Ascari.
While this is the optimal setting, if you're on simulation levels of damage and take too much kerb it can cause damage to your floor, especially if you get flicked up by the sausage kerbs.
If you're struggling to stay consistently between the white lines, then up the front ride height a little to around 36 or 37 to protect yourself from race-ending damage.
Brakes
Braking has changed a lot in F1 23, but the best settings haven’t. 100% brake pressure is still ideal, while 55% brake bias is a good balance between front and rear for Italy.
click to enlarge + 6It is much easier to lock up in F1 23, so if you aren’t using ABS, and find this too much, then reduce the brake pressure. You may also need to move your braking point back a little.
Tyres
The Pirelli rubber hasn’t changed much for F1 23, though the pressure settings are broader this year.
click to enlarge + 6We haven't gone with minimum pressures across the board for this setup, though. You'll need to turn these up slightly to stop the tyres getting cold down the long straights.
So, we've gone with 23.5.0-21.2 psi on the front/rear. This will help keep the tyres in good shape through the race, though you may need see the rears heat up too much towards the end of the race.
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 up a point or two for more stability
- For a more "pointy" car stiffen the front suspension & anti-roll bar in relation to the rear
- 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!
For more articles like this, take a look at our F1 page.