Monaco in the wet is the ultimate challenge for any racer. The city streets are poorly suited to Formula 1 racing at the best of times, let alone when the rain is pouring down.
A wet race in Monte Carlo will never be easy. You’ll have to wrestle with the car no matter your setup. However, using these settings will ease your pain somewhat, and you’ll go faster while you’re at it!
Aerodynamics
Downforce is critical at Monaco, and it’s made no less important by the rain
High levels of downforce are a must, as is a rear wing that with a significantly higher angle than the front. Therefore, just like in the dry, 7-11 wings are the way forward.
This will provide you with as much stability as its possible to have in Monaco, and you’ll have plenty of front-end grip.
Transmission
An on-throttle differential setting of 50% is optimal, as it gives great stability in the traction zones and limits rear tyre wear.
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Off-throttle is more a matter of preference. Higher settings ought to create a more stable car, while lower settings help with outright traction and low-speed rotation. I’ve found that 75% is a decent compromise between these factors.
Suspension Geometry
Monaco’s lack of high-speed corners is only emphasised in the wet conditions, so running a lot of camber isn’t necessary.
Therefore, -2.50 and -1.00 for your camber settings is the way to go, as going all the way to this extreme will help with stability a little.
Toe is strange. Higher levels of rear toe ought to provide smoother traction, promoting stability. However, I’ve found the minimum toe settings to result in a far more stable car, at least in Monaco. For this reason, 0.05 and 0.20 work best.
Suspension
Here’s where things get a little spicier. Usually, around a bumpy track like Monaco, soft suspension would be key.
However, I’ve found that running a balance between a stiff front suspension and a soft rear suspension maintains the car’s ability to handle the bumps while also allowing sharper responsiveness on turn-in.
Specifically, 8-2 has yielded the best results for me.
The anti-roll bar settings are another balancing act. 6-11 works well as the high rear setting allows the rear of the car to rotate more effectively, without sacrificing much in the way of stability.
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The lower setting for the front anti-roll bar is designed to offset the extremity of the rear setting.
Ride height is very important in the wet conditions. Monaco already requires a slightly higher than usual setting in the dry. As such, 9-11 gives good clearance underneath the car, keeping it stable.
Brakes
Brake pressure at 100% is always the way to go as far as I’m concerned. Any issues with front locking that this may create can be compensated for by running a brake bias of 50%. The high pressure will help you to stop, and the rearward bias will help you with rotation. It’s a win-win.
Tyres
Low tyre pressures work well in wet conditions. They’ll also help to keep tyre wear in check, which can be an issue in Monaco.
I suggest front pressures of 21.8psi, as the hit to the responsiveness of the front end is insignificant.
For the rears, the minimum setting of 19.5psi gives the best and smoothest traction, while also keeping wear rates down.
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As I mentioned at the start, this setup will not transform you into some kind of deity who can handle a wet Monte Carlo with ease. Nevertheless, it will at the very least give you a fighting chance of survival as well as plenty of outright pace.