F1 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON 2000: CAR SET-UPS GUIDE By Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version: July 3, 2002 Final Version: July 3, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Car Set-Ups Grand Prix of Australia: Albert Park Grand Prix of Brazil: Interlagos Grand Prix of San Marino: Imola Grand Prix of Great Britain: Silverstone Grand Prix of Spain: Catalunya Grand Prix of Europe: Nurburgring Grand Prix of Monaco: Monte Carlo (Temporary Street Circuit) Grand Prix of Canada: Gilles Villeneuve Grand Prix of France: Nevers Magny-Cours Grand Prix of Austria: A1-Ring Grand Prix of Germany: Hockenheim Grand Prix of Hungary: Hungaroring Grand Prix of Belgium: Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix of Italy: Monza Grand Prix of the United States: Indianapolis Grand Prix of Japan: Suzuka Grand Prix of Malaysia: Sepang Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving guide may not be such a good idea. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, Games Domain, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com, RobsGaming.com, neoseeker.com, ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other languages (F1 Championship Season 2000 is also optimized for French and Spanish), please contact me for permission(s) and provide me with a copy when complete (especially important so that I can improve my French and Spanish skills). Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION Most likely, if you play F1 Championship Season 2000, then you are at least a casual fan of Formula 1 racing, and have at least a basic knowledge of many or all of the currently- used F1 courses. What this guide presents is a set of tuning parameters for the various circuits which should provide a good basis for car set-up for each circuit. Please keep in mind that these suggested car set-ups are just that: suggestions. These are designed with my personal aggressive driving style in mind. Therefore, the set-ups presented here will likely need to be tweaked for each player's comfort level and driving style. ============================================== CAR SET-UPS First, these set-ups are for the PSX and PS2 versions of F1 Championship Season 2000. It has been brought to my attention that the PC version of the game uses a different set-up configuration. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any assistance here, as I own a Mac, only use PCs on rare occasions on campus, and do not have access to a PC on which I can play games. Gomen nasai :-( During the Test Day, Practice, and Qualifying sessions, sitting in the Pits and pressing the Start button brings up an options screen. Selecting 'Car Setup' brings up dialogues to change Front Downforce, Rear Downforce, Gear Ratios, Steering Lock, and other car settings (press the up, down, and circle buttons to switch between these dialogues). For convention, this driving guide will use the following system to show these settings: Ground Clearance: -1 These dialogues show seven small boxes. The centermost box means a neutral (zero) setting. The three boxes to the left mean progressively lower settings (negative), while the three boxes to the right mean progressively higher settings (positive). The number indicates how many boxes in each direction the red square should move. Each course will have suggested settings to help stabilize the car chosen for that circuit. These are simply suggestions, largely based upon my rather aggressive driving style, with the car truly on the hair-thin edge of its limits. Experiment and find the car set-up which works best for your driving style for each course. I would assume that the bulk of any individual player deviations will be made to the Front Downforce, Rear Downforce, and Rear Diffuser settings. If this makes any difference, these car set-ups were all specifically set playing as Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) in Practice Mode, with dry weather, no damage, no flags, no tire wear, and no failures. The car set-ups presented here are essentially the same ones that I use in actual races, just more fine-tuned with several laps in Practice Mode. Also related to the suggested set-ups, I received an e-mail from a highly-observant player asking why I use a Gear Ratio of -3 (fastest acceleration) on every circuit. While I replied to him directly, I assumed others might also be wondering about this consistent setting, to which I can only reply in a two-part answer. First, this was originally an unconscious 'holdover' from playing other racing games, such as the Gran Turismo series. Most importantly, however, it fits my aggressive driving style quite well, providing quicker acceleration - which is especially useful for passing in turns, or for recovering quickly when I brake too deep into a corner. (For those wondering about this last statement, the driving tips for each course are for more 'standard' driving styles, not for highly-aggressive driving styles like mine.) While Gear Ratio of -3 produces fastest acceleration, using the suggested car set-up for each course (except perhaps for Monaco) will still allow players to drive faster than any CPU-controlled vehicle on the track; on long straightaways (such as at Monza and Indianapolis, and especially at Hockenheim), speeds of well over 200MPH/320KPH (even approaching 220MPH/350KPH) are quite commonS and isn't that really fast enough!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRALIA: ALBERT PARK Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -3* Rear Diffuser: +3 *This is an ABSOLUTELY FLAT circuit, so the only reason to raise ride height is to slow the car for better cornering. At Albert Park, this is really only an issue at Turns 3 and 15, and in the odd-formation Pit Lane Entry. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF BRAZIL: INTERLAGOS Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: +1 Rear Downforce: +1 Ride Height: -1 Rear Diffuser: +2 Note: This set-up is designed to take advantage of the lower portion of the circuit. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF SAN MARINO: IMOLA Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -1 Rear Diffuser: +3 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN: SILVERSTONE Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +3 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF SPAIN: CATALUNYA Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +3 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE: NURBURGRING Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -1 Rear Diffuser: -3 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF MONACO: MONTE CARLO (TEMPORARY STREET CIRCUIT) Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +3 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: +3* Rear Downforce: +3* Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +3 *The downforce options are purposely set much higher than at other circuits to assist in cornering. The Monaco circuit simply does not allow for a high-speed set-up. GRAND PRIX OF CANADA: CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -3* Rear Diffuser: +2 *The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is almost perfectly flat, so the only reason to raise ride height is for better cornering due to slower top-end speed. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF FRANCE: NEVERS MAGNY-COURS Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: +3 Ride Height: -3 Rear Diffuser: -1 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRIA: A1-RING Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -1 Rear Diffuser: +2 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY: HOCKENHEIM Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +3 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -3* Rear Diffuser: -1 *The Hockenheim circuit is almost perfectly flat, so the only reason to raise the Rear Height is for better cornering due to slower top-end speed. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF HUNGARY: HUNGARORING Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +1 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF BELGIUM: SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +1 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF ITALY: MONZA Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -3* Rear Diffuser: -1 *The Monza circuit is absolutely flat, so the only reason to raise the Ride Height is to sacrifice top-end speed for better cornering. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF THE UNITED STATES: INDIANAPOLIS Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: -3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -3 Rear Downforce: -3 Ride Height: -3 Rear Diffuser: +1 Note that this is a low-downforce set-up designed specifically to take advantage of the Indy oval section of the course. This set-up makes the infield segment rather tricky, especially 'Mickey' and 'Mouse.' Extreme caution must be taken in the infield portion of the circuit, especially if playing with Tire Wear activated and/or in wet conditions. ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN: SUZUKA Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -3 Rear Diffuser: +2 ============================================== GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA: SEPANG Suggested Car Set-up: Gear Ratios: -3 Steering Lock: +3 Front Suspension: -2 Rear Suspension: -2 Brake Balance: -2 Engine RPM: +2 Side Pod Radiators: +3 Front Downforce: -2 Rear Downforce: -2 Ride Height: -2 Rear Diffuser: +2 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM ; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal () using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (). The latest version will always be posted at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================