Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT3 Release Notes

Welcome to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT3 release notes blog. In this page you will find the detailed notes compiled by the team after each session when creating the fast and safe variants of the new CDA3 V8 Vantage setups. In addition, a complete list of the driver and engineer combinations for each track is present so customers can see which driver and engineer worked on that circuit when looking for setup trends.

Note, some tracks required more notes and instruction than others. This is determined by how the car behaved in the session or how much scope for change in the setup there was.

To view the notes and team list, see below:

Brands Hatch

• Overall trait of understeer, meaning the car is naturally safe but the bumps and kerbs make the track tricky to drive.
• Use bumpstop ranges, 1 click at a time to control pitch and traction. Go lower on the front to reduce instability on braking, higher if you want to make the car slightly more aggressive on braking inputs. 
• You can’t stop the tyres overheating, a trait of Brands Hatch and the car having the narrow diameter tyres. Tune the brake ducts to the server conditions and then try to drive as smoothly as possible. 
• Need a stiffer and higher than minimum front to avoid bottoming out over bumps and kerbs.

Misano 

• Misano uses a setup baseline which is a hybrid of Silverstone and Indianapolis due to the flat nature of the track. It does have some trick kerbs however including the right hander out of sector 1 and the left hand hairpin at the start of sector 2. For this the front fast damping has been stiffened to accommodate better oscillation control through the apex. 
• This also affects the front entry grip and the rear suspension has been adjusted accordingly to accommodate the extra rotation. The preload for the differential has quite a strong effect around here so if you require more entry stability and some extra -rotation on power through the final sector consider going up a few clicks. It can however affect the general rotation of the car through the first sector. 
• The front bumpstop range is very sensitive so it is recommended not changing it too much. Even 2 extra clicks of front range tends to impact the entry stability quite a bit. The car also runs quite a high ARB combination for optimal response. 

Nurburgring

• The rear tyres tend to lock if you brake for too long on the left hand kerb entering into the final corner. Try avoiding the left kerb on the final chicane, it won’t destabilise the car but the TC will kick in on throttle affecting the acceleration in the process. Try to lift off the brakes more quickly to get the weight of the car back on the rear axle. 
• While exiting the Arena section, stay more to the left before entering the right hander at the end of the section. Take a more shallow angle to avoid the beginning of the inside kerb and aim to hit the kerb at the apex to aid in the rotation of the car through the section.
• The safe setup is potentially faster than the fast setup in the first sector due to its stability through tight corner exits and on kerbs however it lacks general rotation compared to the faster setup in the second and third sectors. 
• This is due to a stiffer rear bumpstop rate for more progressive loading under throttle along with a lower rear ride height. The setup also runs a softer ARB configuration for more stability through bumpier sections which is why it lacks a bit of agility in the high speed corners.
• For the qualifying setup, the Schumacher S corners are flat out. 

Paul Ricard

• Running a low wing here is not hugely beneficial as the car doesn’t gain enough top speed as you lower the wing without too much compromise throughout sectors 1 and 3 but you still want to run as low as possible.
• Therefore you tune the aero balance through ride height and use the mechanical grip page to fine tune the car for the slower corners in sectors 1 and 3.
• The diff can be used to help solve any off throttle issues through the fast right hander and following long right hander but generally the car is easy to drive. The long right hander you have to be careful on the brakes, however, stiffening the front through the wheel rate or ARB can help keep the car more stable.
• If the car is tricky to handle on throttle with the Fast Setup you can raise the TC1 to 3.

Silverstone

• The setup for Silverstone uses the Indianapolis setup as a baseline since both tracks are relatively flat with minimal kerbs. Silverstone however does have some tricky off throttle high speed corners such as Copse, Maggots and Beckets so this setup runs a higher preload on the differential for entry stability.
• To maintain more traction on slow speed corners and to compliment the higher preload, a bit more rear bumpstop range has also been added. Similar to the setup in Indy the current configuration is quite sensitive to damper changes and it’s inadvisable to make too many changes on the current combination. 
• If you need a bit more rear end stability in general, consider increasing the rear fast damping by a maximum of 2 clicks. A safer option is to reduce the ride height by 2-3 clicks and increasing the front bumpstop range by 1 click.

Spa Francorchamps 

• The car is very consistent, predictable and safe to drive here.
• As Spa is almost always used for long endurance races with mixed weather, the safe set is aimed more towards a hybrid between wet and dry with higher wing and higher front ride height but is also a safe set to drive in low grip dry conditions or new drivers.
• A low wing approach is used for qualifying but can be used for short sprint races if need be. However, if this is too aggressive, reducing rear ride height should be an easy fix.
• A low front bumpstop range is used here to prevent the front bottoming out through Eau Rouge.
• It is recommended to push the brake bias forwards for Pouhon.
• If the car has instability on throttle feel free to raise TC1 to 2 or 3. 

Suzuka 

• Suzuka having more elevation and kerbs runs a slightly lower ARB configuration with more damping stiffness all round. There are no particular anomalies setup wise around Suzuka. 
• The differential and bumpstop rates on the rear have been adjusted to keep the car more planted through some of the off-cambered sections such as Spoon and the exit from the final chicane. 
• Consider staying in 3rd gear through the esses in sector 1. Try to avoid the kerb at the apex of 130R as it can unsettle the car if hit at the wrong angle. The ARBs and dampers have been adjusted a bit to soften the impact however given the track is a high downforce variant, slightly stiffer roll and soft damping is required to keep the aero platform stable.

Zandvoort

• The Nurbugring baseline was used for Zandvoort in order to accommodate bumpy and cambered surfaces. The main difference is that Zandvoort has a lot more variety in terms of tricky braking zones and slow speed direction changes.
• There are multiple instances on the track where the car initially tended to bottom out so the front ride height is run slightly higher compared to other tracks. This means that the rear spring rate had to be increased as well to get more high speed rotation without affecting the rear ride height in the setup. 
• The front bumpstop range is also run quite low to provide better braking stability, especially on the braking zone at the top of the hill in sector 2. 
• Preload is generally run quite high on this track to get the high speed rotation through sector 2. If you require a bit more of throttle rotation, consider reducing the preload, increasing the rear ride height and reducing the front bumpstop range (to increase braking/off throttle stability)

Zolder

• High wing and rake for this style of track. The chicanes can make or break your lap time so most settings are done to get the best out of the chicanes, particularly the front ride height and bumpstop ranges:
• Because of the chicane kerbs, the front ride height is used as a balance tuner to make it safer and more predictable over the kerbs with a higher ride height giving more margin of error and more understeer.
• The car will never be set up perfectly for the first chicane without compromises elsewhere. Getting the line right is key here by keeping the steering wheel as straight as possible and getting all the braking done before hitting the kerbs.
• Relatively high bumpstop ranges to help with the kerbs
• Everywhere else, the Aston is your standard Aston – predictable and safe to drive.

Barcelona

• High rake and wing works best for the Aston. Oversteer on entry can be tuned out with a slightly lower rear ride height.
• Stiff Roll Bars work well on the car, combined with soft-medium springs for response.
• Dampers set to the new ‘exploit’ settings, minor tuning can be done here but it can upset the car if changed too much.
• Be careful of slight bottoming out in the braking zone for T7, only minor but good to be aware of. 
• The car also runs very low bumpstop ranges on the front and rear to keep the front aero stable mid corner and maintain enough rotation on corner exits

Hungaroring

• While Hungaroring may not be all that bumpy, the car had been set up with higher than usual bumpstops. The main goal was stability over kerbs, as those tend to be crucial towards a fast lap time around here.
• If there is desire to add/restrict some rotation from the car, the best approach would be tweaking the rear ride height, as it seems most effective without compromising the rest of the setup.
• Traction control could be a viable option if the car feels rather on edge while accelerating. Adjusting TC1 to 3 should allow more aggressive throttle application without compromising exit speed all that much.

Donington Park 

• The ARBs have been dropped to accommodate the camber and elevation changes on the track. Both stiffer and softer ARB combinations have been tested with the current suspension configuration and the current compromise works best for this track. Softening the ARBs too much will cause the bumpstops to be actuated too often mid corner which will cause instability mid corner.
• The bumpstop is quite sensitive on both ends. Increasing the front bumpstop too much will induce braking instability while reducing the rear will cause traction problems. This is also due to the nature of the track with blind corners, kerbs and off cambered traction zones present. 
• The safe setup does run a slightly softer ARB configuration but the bumpstop range and ride height have also been adjusted accordingly to compliment the additional roll of the chassis.

Laguna Seca

• The Aston runs relatively softer ARBs between the fast and safe setup to make the car more forgiving over the kerbs of the tracks. The kerbs also tend to be quite slippery around this track, so the preload is also run a bit above average to maintain optimal rotation on exits without the turbo lag kicking out the rear of the car.
• The dampers are in a good working range for the track. The stiffer rear rebound dampers help in braking stability in the downhill sections while the soft bump damping has been kept to maximise traction through the bumpier sections of the track.
• The car doesn’t bottom out too often but the front range is still quite sensitive. If you require a bit more entry agility and the cost of some mid corner stability, consider increasing the front bumpstop range by a few clicks. 
• The rear spring is kept quite soft however if you require a more responsive rear end through the faster corners, consider increasing the rear spring stiffness and reducing the rear bumpstop rate.

Kyalami

• While Hungaroring may not be all that bumpy, the car had been set up with higher than usual bumpstops. The main goal was stability over kerbs, as those tend to be crucial towards a fast lap time around here.
• If there is desire to add/restrict some rotation from the car, the best approach would be tweaking the rear ride height, as it seems most effective without compromising the rest of the setup.
• Traction control could be a viable option if the car feels rather on edge while accelerating. Adjusting TC1 to 3 should allow more aggressive throttle application without compromising exit speed all that much.

Monza

• The minimum wing is not efficient for Parabolica. Top speed does not compensate for the speed you lose lifting there.
• Highest rear anti-roll bar and quite stiff rear wheel rate help to rotate the car in the slow corners. The safe setup is set in a way that the car is less on the edge. 
• Kerbs are very hit and miss around Monza, outside (exit) kerbs should be used as much as possible to maximise lap time, however inside kerbs should for the most part be avoided at all costs, can only get away with riding over kerbs through the start of Ascari, the final left kerb out of Ascari can be rather unpredictable.

Imola

• High wing/rake due to the nature of the track.
• After trying a few different bumpstop ranges and rates to try and control car behaviour over kerbs, a low(ish) range and medium rate seemed to work best.
• Timing and lines over kerbs can really make a big difference at this track, a few mm either way could be the difference between a new PB or finding the gravel after getting airborne.
• Slightly raised front ride height to help avoid bottoming out on the bumps and kerbs.
• Ride height raised further at the front for the safe setup along with a couple of other minor adjustments to try to give a wider operating window over the kerbs.
• Quali setup, rake, bumpstops and dampers tweaked from race setups. May work well for races too.

Mount Panorama 

• Fast rebound dampers were softened from starting with the SRO setup as a base. This was to help with locking in braking sections down the mountain.
• Front bumpstop rate increased as the car was bottoming out on the exit of the dipper and washing out towards the barrier.
• Rear bumpstops shortened and softened to give a more predictable behaviour over bumps, but without losing any power-on balance.
• Low-mid range preload used for stability down the mountain along with a slightly softer rear roll bar to prevent ‘skipping’ in the rear.
• Safe setup uses lower rake and higher preload to reduce movement over bumpy areas of the track.

Snetterton 

• Low preload to help with rotation in the tighter corners.
• Mid range spring rates to help with agility in direction changes, combined with a strong rear ARB over front to get the car to rotate.
• Dampers tuned to have control over the bumps/dips without having to sacrifice ride height.
• Safe setup uses slightly higher front ride height, along with some softer dampers and bumpstop changes to give a larger operating window and safer entry along with predictable corner exit.

Oulton Park

• Front ride height raised to cope better with the kerbs here.
• High downforce, high rake setup as there are no long straights and lots of stability needed.
• Dampers tweaked to suit kerb behaviour (Base setup from Snetterton).
• Safe setup runs generally along the same lines as the fast setup, but with a slight tweak to ride heights and bumpstops to try and give more leeway if you accidently run too much over a kerb or stray from the racing line.
• For turn one take a slightly late entry and brake to the apex, the car has a lot of stability under rotation for this.
• At the first chicane, use the 1st kerb, but not the 2nd (Right hand side) as the right hand kerb heavily unsettles the car.
• At the second chicane, avoid the inside kerb on entry as this will only slow you down if you try to launch over it.

Indianapolis

• For a flat track such as Indy the Aston doesn’t require a lot of fast damping or kerb optimisation. However it generally likes to run a very soft slow bump configuration. So the fast damping has been adjusted to add extra stability on throttle through the slow speed. Generally slow speed mid corner sections can be tricky with the Aston due to turbo lag, so running a softer rear suspension helps.
• The car also runs very low bumpstop ranges on the front and rear to keep the front aero stable mid corner and maintain enough rotation on corner exits respectively. 
• The vehicle suspension is quite sensitive or a track with longer sweeping corners such as Indianapolis so the roll configuration has been kept quite stiff. To make the car safer in general, dropping the rear ride height is a simple solution. It has little impact on general mid corner handling but keeps the car more planted on exits. The working range is also quite high so consider dropping the rear ride height by 4-5 clicks based on your rotation preference. 

COTA

• Despite being a relatively hilly track, the Indianapolis setup worked well as a starting baseline. The roll stiffness has been softened along with an increase to the front bumpstop range. Traction was a major hurdle in the slow speed corners and since there are not a lot of downhill braking zones, we chose to run soft springs in general with a higher ride height. 
• These changes have ensured a smoother throttle response for the rear tyres without losing too much high speed rotation. Minimal changes have been done to the dampers as compared to Indy since they are currently being used in a good working range for sharp medium speed corners, with very soft bump damping and stiff rebound damping. 
• Stay in first gear out of the final corner, the acceleration benefit outweighs the slight lack of rear end stability due to the turbo lag. 
• For the safer setup the ride height was decreased with a small change to the rear rebound dampers to get the car to pitch in less into the faster corners. This has made the car a lot more forgiving both over kerbs as well as direction change through sector 1. 
• For more on-throttle stability it is recommended to increase the rear bumpstop range and increase the rear bumpstop rate by a few clicks. Too many changes to these values will quickly push the car out of its working window due to how pitch sensitive the car can be for the current damper configuration. 

Watkins Glen

• Nothing too special, a really easy car to drive around this track. As such there are minimal differences (ride height and bumpstop range) between safe and fast set.
• Adjusting the rear ride height and rear bumpstop range helps the most around here to adjust balance, particularly for corner exits and on throttle car behaviour depending on driver style as getting on throttle early without sliding is key to a good lap time given the corners are quite long radius, medium-high speed and almost all precede a decent straight.
• The ARBs and low bumpstop range help in maintaining a stable aero platform through the long radius corners.
• Dampers are tuned towards kerb riding, bus stop chicane kerbs are taken very well, can almost just send it in and it’ll stick (line and steering angle dependant).

Team List

Driver/Engineer Combination	Tracks
Luka Berk/Rob Taplin	Barcelona
Luka Berk/Miguel Jimenez	Hungaroring
Luka Berk/Rob Taplin	Imola
Dennis Schoeniger/Nick Deeley	Kyalami
Jakob Ostermann/Saiduth Ramesh	Laguna Seca
Luka Berk/Saiduth Ramesh	Misano
Luka Berk/Miguel Jimenez	Monza
Dennis Schoniger/Rob Taplin	Mount Panorama
Dennis Schoeniger/Saiduth Ramesh	Nurburgring
Jakob Ostermann/Nick Deeley	Paul Ricard
Jakob Ostermann/Nick Deeley	Spa Francorchamps
Jakob Ostermann/Saiduth Ramesh	Suzuka
Dennis Schoeniger/Saiduth Ramesh	Zandvoort
Taariq Adam/Nick Deeley	Zolder
Taariq Adam/Nick Deeley	Brands Hatch
Taariq Adam/Saiduth Ramesh	Donington
Luka Berk/Miguel Jimenez	Oulton Park
Luka Berk/Rob Taplin	Snetterton
Luka Berk/Saiduth Ramesh	Silverstone
Luka Berk/Nick Deeley	Watkins Glen
Jakob Ostermann/Saiduth Ramesh	Indianapolis
Taariq Adam/Saiduth Ramesh	COTA