F1 24 Australia Setups

The Australian Grand Prix is at the start of the 2024 season and is incredibly entertaining, thanks in part to the changes that were made to the track layout.

The slow chicane of turn 7 was removed last year, which has made the straight or bend between turns 6 and 9 an incredibly fast part of the track. During the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, thanks to the removal of the old chicane, we saw a few overtakes into turn 9.

Which aerodynamic direction to go in for our car setup?

By removing this chicane, there has been a greater emphasis on a high-speed car setup. There is now one fewer slow-speed corner and the straight corner is even more reliant on lower-downforce car setups.

However, despite leaning more towards a low-downforce car setup around Australia in F1 24, you cannot forget the lower-speed corners. Opting for an aerodynamic setup that is too focused on top speed will mean you’re slower through other parts of the lap. This means that a balanced aerodynamic setup is still key to a good car setup in F1 24.

I would advise leaning more towards higher downforce, especially at the front of the car. Understeer can be a big problem around Melbourne in F1 24, mainly thanks to the heavier cars introduced in 2023. More front downforce will help you carry more speed through medium-speed corners such as turns 1, 6, and 12.

Melbourne is primarily a front-limited track in F1 24, meaning your front tyres will wear faster than the rears. This is because of the medium-speed corners that can be taken quite fast. Doubling down on a good front aerodynamic car setup can help you take corners such as turn 1 and 9 at a higher speed.

Is tyre wear a problem around Melbourne?

Longer corners will sustain a higher load on your front tyres. You can manage your speed through corners such as turn 12 to try to lower the amount of front tyre wear you encounter during a full race distance.

Opting for a softer suspension setup can help mitigate some of the tyre wear you’ll encounter around Melbourne. Lowering your tyre pressures can also help reduce the tyre temperature build-up, which will reduce the rate at which your tyres wear.

Due to the track’s front-limited nature, it is normal to experience more wear on your front tyres than on your rear tyres.

What is the best race strategy for Australia in F1 24?

Opting for harder tyre compounds is the usual route for the Australian Grand Prix. If you are racing a full race distance in F1 24, you should look for a two pitstop strategy that uses two sets of hard compound tyres along with a single set of medium tyres.

Starting the race on the medium tyres will give you a better launch off the starting line and improve your potential to make an overtake on the first lap of the race. After the first few laps, you should settle down into a consistent rhythm before your first pit stop between laps 10-18.

The rest of the race will generally be run on hard tyres with a second put stop around lap 35-40.