Without a doubt, the Algarve International Circuit at Portimao is one of the most enjoyable racetracks in F1 22. Master it with our F1 22 Portugal setup guide.
Image credit: Codemasters / EA
When the game was initially released, the home of the Portuguese Grand Prix wasn’t a part of it. However, in early August, Codemasters and EA added the popular circuit as a free DLC.
By nature, the track requires a finely balanced setup. There are several high-speed corners, as well as slippery traction zones which are lurking on the exits of the low speed hairpins. When you add the long start-finish straight to the mix, it can be tricky to get your settings just right.
Thankfully for you, we have developed this beginner-friendly race setup for the Portuguese Grand Prix for you to use!
F1 22 Portimao Setup: Aerodynamics and Transmission
On F1 2021, we recommended running quite a high downforce setup for Portimao. Now, however, we’ve taken things down a notch or two. With the new handling model and the value of a low-drag setup taken into account, we found 19-28 to be the sweet spot.
With these values on your front and rear wings respectively, you’ll have just enough aerodynamic grip to navigate the many twists and turns the circuit has to offer. On the other hand, the wings aren’t so aggressive that you will find yourself suffering down the straights. If you find yourself struggling with a slippery rear end under traction, consider raising the rear wing value a touch.
However, the rear of the car shouldn’t be giving you too much trouble. Part of the reason for this is the transmission setup. By running 55% for your on-throttle setting and 50% for your off-throttle, you minimise both wheelspin and rear tyre wear. Admittedly, this comes at a cost when it comes to your maximum traction gain, but over a race distance, stability is more valuable.
Suspension Geometry
It can be hard to understand exactly what is going on in this section of the setup menu. Camber and toe settings don’t often have an obvious impact on your car’s performance, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t important. Well, apart from the front toe, which really seems to have very little impact indeed.
For the camber settings, we recommend running both the front and rear sliders all the way to the right. This gives you values of -2.50 and -1.00. With these settings, you should be able to manage your tyre wear better than if you added some more negative camber.
As we mentioned, the front toe value is far from critical. We usually suggest going with 0.05, and Portimao is no different in this regard. However, the rear toe setting is actually quite valuable. By running the maximum rear toe of 0.50, you can gain some essential rear-end stability.
Suspension
Unlike in the suspension geometry section of our F1 22 Portugal setup, the suspension page of the setup menu is perhaps the most important of all. More than any other, it determines how your car feels, particularly with regard to stability.
For the suspension stiffness, we recommend running the softest suspension possible. By using 1-1 values for your front and rear suspension, you allow your car to cope with the lumps, bumps and crests of the Algarve International Circuit. With a stiffer suspension, the car becomes twitchy and difficult to manage, particularly through the likes of turn 4.
Anti-roll bars are up next, and they are also very important. As with many circuits in F1 22, we find that Portimao rewards a standard 3-9 setup from the front to the rear. This way, the car’s body doesn’t wash wide in the middle of the multiple long corners that characterise Portugal.
To round off this section, we move on to your ride height. This can be adjusted and customised quite easily based on personal preference. We have found that a 7-4 setup helps to ensure that the kerbs and bumps of the circuit aren’t a problem. However, if you are confident in your ability to stay away from the higher kerbs, feel free to try lowering your car a bit. That way, you will have less drag down the straights.
F1 22 Portugal Setup: Brakes and Tyres
When it comes to brake settings in F1 22, there aren’t too many decisions to be made. Running 100% brake pressure and 50% brake bias works well at most tracks. However, if you find yourself struggling to avoid locking up, then consider lowering the pressure a little.
Last of all are the tyre pressures. For your front tyres, we suggest opting for 23.8psi, with 22.0psi on the rears. Like with the brakes, you should feel free to adjust these values if they don’t suit you. Specifically, if you find yourself consistently overheating your tyres, lowering your tyre pressures is the best way to remedy that.
Try another setup: F1 22 Brazil Setup Guide
Did you find our F1 22 Portuguese Grand Prix setup guide helpful? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
