The United States always seems to have been a tough market for Formula One to crack, but it looks like it has finally achieved the feat thanks to having a new home: the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The track, commonly referred to as ‘COTA,’ is one of the best tracks to currently grace the Formula One calendar. It has a fast, sweeping Sector 1, a tight and twisty Sector 2, and then a faster and medium-speed Sector 3 – it really has got it all. To help you win over the fans at the Circuit of the Americas, this is our guide to the USA setup in F1 22.
If you need to know more about the F1 setup components, check out the complete F1 22 setups guide.
These are the recommended settings for the best F1 22 USA setup for dry and wet laps.
F1 22 USA (COTA) setup
- Front Wing Aero: 22
- Rear Wing Aero: 30
- DT On Throttle: 50%
- DT Off Throttle: 55%
- Front Camber: -2.50
- Rear Camber: -1.00
- Front Toe: 0.05
- Rear Toe: 0.20
- Front Suspension: 8
- Rear Suspension: 1
- Front Anti-Roll Bar: 10
- Rear Anti-Roll Bar: 2
- Front Ride Height: 3
- Rear Ride Height: 4
- Brake Pressure: 100%
- Front Brake Bias: 50%
- Front Right Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Front Left Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Rear Right Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Rear Left Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Tyre Strategy (25% race): Soft-Medium
- Pit Window (25% race): 4-6 lap
- Fuel (25% race): +1.4 laps
F1 22 USA (COTA) setup (wet)
- Front Wing Aero: 35
- Rear Wing Aero: 46
- DT On Throttle: 80%
- DT Off Throttle: 55%
- Front Camber: -2.50
- Rear Camber: -2.00
- Front Toe: 0.05
- Rear Toe: 0.20
- Front Suspension: 1
- Rear Suspension: 2
- Front Anti-Roll Bar: 1
- Rear Anti-Roll Bar: 5
- Front Ride Height: 3
- Rear Ride Height: 5
- Brake Pressure: 100%
- Front Brake Bias: 50%
- Front Right Tyre Pressure: 23.5 psi
- Front Left Tyre Pressure: 23.5 psi
- Rear Right Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Rear Left Tyre Pressure: 23 psi
- Tyre Strategy (25% race): Soft-Medium
- Pit Window (25% race): 4-6 lap
- Fuel (25% race): +1.4 laps
Aerodynamics
Circuit of the Americas is a complex beast, with a twisty section at the end and middle, and a high-speed sector to start the lap. There is one massive back straight, but you aren’t going to be able to overtake anyone if you don’t have a strong car in the corners.
So, a 22-30 setup for the wet and dry might sound a bit extreme, but it is exactly what you need to have the grip and downforce in the corners, especially the Esses in Sector 1.
Transmission
Whilst there are some slower corners that need outright traction, the American GP circuit has enough prolonged, high-speed corners that you are going to want good traction.
Thus, we have locked the differential setup a little bit more than on some tracks, but left some margin for error with the off-throttle differential settings. You could even go as low as 50 per cent for a happy medium for this track. Don’t be afraid to adjust it further if you so desire.
Suspension Geometry
Given the Esses at the Circuit of the Americas, we have gone for quite the aggressive front camber setup. You want a car that has strong grip in the sustained corners, and whilst we have left some margin for error, you should still have sufficient grip in the slower corners. We have balanced it out slightly with the rear camber, being sure to not go too aggressive there.
For the toe, given that you need a sharp turning response, we have cranked the front toe and rear toe values up just a bit. Still, we’ve been mindful that if we go too far with this setup component, the stability of the car will be badly affected – and you can’t counter that all with aero levels and ride height adjustments.
Suspension
There aren’t many bumps in the USA GP on F1 22, but there are plenty of kerbs that you will be clouting, especially in the high-speed corners. You don’t want your car to be over sprung, nor do you want to lose that aerodynamic stability through the faster corners. We have gone for a relatively firm front suspension and front anti-roll bar setup, with a bit more done to raise the anti-roll bar values on both the front and the rear.
Due to the track’s features, you want your ride height to be high enough that you don’t lose the car over a kerb, where it can get unsettled easily. This generally only applies to Sector 1 and a couple of corners in Sector 3, but if you try and setup the ride height for the rest of the lap, you will lose out big time in those two sectors.
If the car feels stable enough, then you might be able to knock the values down ever so slightly for the rear ride height, sinking it to around six.
Brakes
The 100%-50% brake pressure and bias setup will serve you well around the USA GP in F1 22. This setup has become the default for most races, being able to stave off lock-ups and give you enough power when needed.
Tyres
When it comes to tyre pressure at the Circuit of the Americas, much of the selection should be based on personal preference. It depends on if you want to try to eke-out a bit more straight-line speed, or if you’re happy to have that a bit lower and settle for a lower top-end value.
Here, we’ve gone for the middle ground. The track can be quite harsh on tyres thanks to Sector 1 and the loads that the tyres are put through. So, it is probably best to avoid worrying about your straight-line speed too much at the USA GP.
Circuit of the Americas is, by far, one of the most enjoyable tracks to drive in F1 21. The absence of the race last year was a hammer blow for fans and the sport, with the US being such a popular destination and often one of the best races on the calendar.
Have you got your own United States Grand Prix setup? Share it with us in the comments below!
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