CDA4 Continental GT3 Release Notes

Welcome to the Continental GT3 CDA4 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 CDA4 Continental GT3 setups. Please carry on reading below to see what our team found:

Brands Hatch

Rake is limited as the car gets really unstable through the high speed section. Instead the front wheel rate has been softened to gain rotation and bumpstops are utilised to prevent excessive pitch.
Stiff rear bumpstops prevent the car from squatting which can cause problems with handling over kerbs.
Differential preload has been set up to provide enough rotation through the third sector but also not to cause understeer through T1 and the slow corners.
As the car is set up quite aggressively to rotate well at high speed, the rear arb is soft to prevent twitchy steering out of the slower corners.

Brands Hatch – V2

The 02 setups focus on providing more high speed entry stability as well as reducing snappy oversteer on long corner exits.
To get rid of snappy behaviour on long exits, the rear arb has been set much softer. In addition the rear bumpstop rate was lowered and the rear toe set to neutral in order to improve traction.
For entry stability the front arb and the rear rebound are now stiffer.
To maintain good rotation the rake was increased. Front springs were softened and preload lowered to give more rotation in slow speed. Also the rear bump damping was stiffened for better response when getting on power at high speed.

Misano

Low diff is used to keep the rear stable on the exits and provide good traction throughout.
Higher bumpstops are used to be able to handle all the kerbs in sector 1 and the second last corner.

Misano V2

No major changes made.

Nurburgring

The Bentley runs well with very soft springs and stiffer ARBs. The springs add mechanical grip in slow speed corners while the ARBs provide aero stability similar to the behaviour of the McLaren.
The soft spring values help overall with grip, as do the slightly softer ARBs. Going any softer on this ARB configuration also has an adverse effect on overall response so that is why it is at a moderately stiff value.
The dampers are much softer here compared to other tracks, with the front bump helping the front tyres bite into the corners. It is also driving specific and depends on the way the kerbs and corner entries are approached. The car also requires a higher ride height.

Nurburgring V2

Changes from R01’s:
Dampers reworked (especially fast dampers) to give less oversteer on kerbs.
Stiffer springs and softer front roll bar used to aid rotation and precision.
Shorter rear bump stops to improve corner exit rotation.
Slightly higher rear ride height to improve vehicle dynamics in tighter sections of the track.
Safe setup uses Softer rear springs and stiffer front roll bar along with a little less preload to try to give predictable entry with safe exits.
Qualifying setup uses more rake, softer rear spring and shorter rear bumpstop, along with longer front bumpstop range to maximise rotation on entry and traction on exit. Could be used for sprint races.

Paul Ricard

The Bentley is very stable and easy to drive at Paul Ricard as a result of negative front toe and a lowered rear ride height.
This setup doesn’t need to be overdriven as time will be lost as result, especially at Signes where taking too much exit curb really unsettles the car.

Paul Ricard V2

Increased the front toe and the rake to have more rotation.
Go to TC off in T8 (Signes) to maximise the lap time, and TC 1 in the last corner.
Small tuning in the dampers to increase the grip of the car.

Silverstone

Race setup has been built to be a little on edge on entry to Maggots and Becketts, with a high enough diff that you can chuck the car in off-throttle, without too much immediate rotation that makes it deadly.
Use throttle here to stabilise the rear-end mid corner and maintain speed and slip angle.
The Bentley generally tackles Silverstone well, and its braking performance is exceptional. Trail braking must be leant on heavily to be quick through sector 2.
Use 2nd gear for all low speed corner exits to aid traction, and be patient going onto full throttle.
If struggling with over-rotation into Maggots and Becketts, soften rear anti-roll bar.

Silverstone – V2

Several damper adjustments have been made compared to the first version of the setup in order to bias mechanical grip forward on slow speed corners whilst maintaining enough rear end grip on entry. This helps the car maintain rotation through technical sections of the track but still provides enough stability/rotation through corners such as Copse and Stowe.
The preload is run higher in this setup since it helps with keeping the rear end planted off throttle.

Spa Francorchamps

The Bentley set up responds well to adjusting the anti roll bar, thus helping to improve the initial turn in for the car. As a result, the fast set up can be a little on edge so careful throttle control is required on the corner exit.
A stiffer rear set up allowed the car to handle sector two at Spa well, maintaining good minimum speed with the medium downforce set up.

Spa Francorchamps – V2

The car is set up to be quite sensitive to turning so it is advisable to use minimal steering inputs while going up Eau Rouge. The car is quite forgiving on the kerbs, but may be sensitive to sudden steering changes. This has been done to maintain agility through the rest of the lap.
Different wing angles were also checked and tested. A very high wing works well on the high speed corners but will also cost quite a lot of straight line speed and agility in medium speed corners with the current mechanical settings. A slightly lower wing has been used as a result.
The ARBs and springs are in a small working window to be able to keep the car stable throughout the entire lap so it is advisable not to change these values too much. It is recommended to make small changes to the low speed dampers if needed, since the high speed dampers will affect Eau Rouge.

Suzuka

The car naturally wants to understeer though the fast flowing sector one at Suzuka, so a stiff rear end is required to help reduce understeer through this tricky section.
A stiff front end allows the car to be positive through the corners, combined with the reduced ride height aids traction out of the turns improving lap time.
A combination of negative front toe and increased front rebound allowed the qualifying set up to be aggressive and fast throughout the lap.

Suzuka V2

It is advised to use TC 5 through sector 1 and TC 2 for sector 2 and 3.
Don’t fully lift the throttle through 130R otherwise the car will get very unstable.
Lower the front bump stop range if the car has too much oversteer through 130R but try the tip above before.
If the car is too unstable through Sector 1 on throttle either raise the front ARB, lower the front. Rebound or the rear Bump. Everything should have a little impact on what suits you the most.

Zandvoort

For Zandvoort we opted to use a stiff roll bar configuration to prevent the front end from bottoming out on the banks and kerbs on the track, whilst rolling into corners. This is an approach that has been used for some of the other cars as well.
Additionally the bumpstop range and preload values are run with more compliance to ensure maximum mechanical grip after corner apex’s.
To keep the car stable on entry with the current soft suspension, the rear rebound has been stiffened up and the front bump damping has been adjusted.

Zandvoort V2

Changes from R01’s:
Softer front roll bar, more rake and more aggressive alignment settings to increase mid corner rotation.
Dampers adjusted to improve entry and exit behaviour and also over bumps.
Softer springs all round to give better grip on the track surface.
Slightly more preload for entry stability.
David’s “magic number” caster used.
Shorter bumpstops to control body movement and stabilise the aero platform.
Safe setup uses a softer rear spring along with bumpstop, preload and TC changes to stabilise entry and give more predictable traction.
Quali setup has more aggressive wheel alignment to optimise 1 lap pace over stability and longevity.

Zolder

We’ve used very stiff dampers with stiffer wheel rates to reduce impact of hard bounces.
Setup has been built for consistency and stability, and qualifying setup is more aggressive and can be thrown around a bit more.
Bentley is generally slow here on current BOP and difficult to find lap time with.

Zolder – V2

The setup uses slightly stiffer ARB values than the first version around Zolder. This provides better agility and aero platform stability since the car rolls less.
The slow dampers have also been stiffened to help with roll stability through the high speed corenrs and to support vibrations from the stiffer ARBs.
Slightly lower ride heights are being used compared to the first version as the car was no longer bottoming out in the chicane with the new damper adjustments.

Barcelona

Barcelona uses a very stiff damper combination compared to other tracks, with the direction change through both high speed and low speed corners being a priority.
With the undulations on the track surface and the various bumps and kerbs, the dampers have had to be adjusted from the Valencia baseline.
A stiffer wheel rate on the front ensures that the car can respond to steering inputs much more rapidly while also impacting kerbs more safely without hitting the ground.

Barcelona V2

Changes from R01’s:
More rake, softer but more aggressive settings on the roll bars and Softer springs, all to improve cornering performance.
Shorter bump stop front and rear to stabilise the car and give more predictable aero performance.
Lower preload to aid off-throttle rotation and initial throttle application traction.
Dampers also adjusted for better performance with a new spring/roll bar setup.
Safe Setup uses softer rear spring, less rake and bumpstop changes for maximum stability.
Qualifying setup uses a safe base but with more rake, damper and bumpstop changes, and very aggressive wheel alignment for extra rotation at the cost of tyre life.

Donington Park

Donington is generally a track where cars can struggle with traction on exit. The Bentley also struggles with this generally so a softer rear configuration and positive toe is used to combat it.
Fast dampers are relatively stiff to keep the car stable at the fast chicane.

Donington Park V2

Mechanical section of the setup has been made more aggressive to improve rotation and response.
Dampers tweaked for stability.

Laguna Seca

Starting with Snetterton setup as base the car was missing rotation on the downhill after corkscrew. To change that the front arb and rear rebound have been softened. Also the preload has been lowered as it’s a big coasting section.
The TC is low even on the race setups. It provides a smooth rotation through T2 and good exits out of the last corner. To aid traction on other corner exits, the rear arb and rear bump damping have been softened.
Quali setup runs a more aggressive alignment on the front for quicker turn in. Instead of raised rake, softer front wheel rates and stiffer rear arb were used to obtain more rotation. The dampers also have been changed to aid cornering and slow exit grip.
Corner entries should be quite early and smooth as the car will slide otherwise. Also on long exits it’s important not to put in too much steering as it will cause oversteer.

Laguna Seca – V2

The 02 setups provide better steering response and traction on corner exits.
For better responsiveness the anti-roll bars were stiffened and the front negative toe is higher.
The car also has better rotation due to raised rake by 1mm. To maintain stability the rear rebound was stiffened.
The traction was improved mostly by going from negative to neutral on the rear toe. Also the rear negative camber was increased by a click.
Going into the corkscrew you need to mind potential lock ups. Make sure to make your braking line straight. If necessary, raise the ABS.

Kyalami

The Kyalami setup focuses on maintaining good response in direction changes through the second sector and also providing enough stability to the car downhill through the long right hander.
Both of these are achieved by running a stiff front ARB and relatively stiff front wheel rates. The rear bumpstop rate has also been softened quite a bit to improve traction through the bumpier parts of the track.

The ARBs have been slightly adjusted in this version to provide a better high speed balance and to work in accordance with a slightly softer wheel rate combination.
The softer wheel rates provide more mechanical grip for the car through the slow speed corners. The previous variant is also a viable option but is overall a much stiffer car with more roll compliance on the rear end due to the softer rear ARB and bumpstop range. This makes the car slightly more unstable through long high speed corners on the track.
The bumpstop ranges have also been changed to support the new spring values.

Hungaroring

Increased the front height to avoid bouncing off the many bollards on this track, and we have noticed that it does not compromise the car’s downforce.
Stiffened the dampers and springs, as the car tended to wobble too much in medium/high-speed turns and changes of direction.
Raised both front and rear bumpstops to increase mechanical grip.
For turn 1 if the tc cut too much lower to 3.
In case of understeer raise the rear height/front bumpstop range.

Hungaroring V2

Increased the front toe and the rake to maximise the rotation.
Use TC 1 and brake bias at 60.6% in T1 and TC off for T3 to maximise the lap time.
Increased the bumpstop range to absorb bumps better and to increase traction.

Monza

Monza runs a moderately low wing with the priority being traction out of slow speed corners and stability on Ascari.
The low wing provides enough rotation into the Lesmo corners, so the preload has not been dropped too much compared to other tracks. Instead the higher diff provides more rotation after the apex at Ascari.
The dampers are kept stiff to provide a good aero platform through the high speed sections with the stiff dampers giving more control on the kerbs upon initial impact.

Monza V2

With the long straights at Monza, having a low downforce setup is critical for lap time. The Bentley isn’t very sensitive to aero changes, so a rear wing of 3 was used for the race and qualifying set up.
During Ascari, the car needs to be kept straight while going over the curbs, or avoid them all together. The curbs at Ascari upset the car and cost lap time.
To help with performance through the lap, TC1 can be used for the first chicane, but remember to switch it back to TC3 for the rest of the lap.

Imola

Increased the front height a lot to avoid bouncing off the many bollards on this track, and we have noticed that it does not compromise the car’s downforce.
Very stiff anti-roll bars for a responsive car in direction changes.
Soft springs and high bumpstops increase mechanical grip and thus traction out of turns, and also help absorb bumps better.
In general try to hit all the bumps on this track with the throttle pedal pressed down, so that the front end rises a few millimetres and the springs are not in compression.

Imola v2

By reducing the fast rebound at the front and the rear, the car is able to attack the curbs through the first chicane. Lap time can be found through sector one with a good exit out of the first chicane.
The car handles well in both race and qualifying trim, with minimum front ride height assisting the cars handling.

Mount Panorama

Raised the car for ground clearance on the many harsh compressions, as softer fast damping was required to handle the many bumps throughout sector 2
Medium wing on race set for consistency in middle sector with a small compromise on top speed
Qualifying set uses stiffer mechanical grip and less wing – faster overall, but riskier. Increase rear wing if struggling with keeping the rear end in check. Softening rear wheel rate is also an option, but this will compromise aero stability in sector 2 so further adjustments may be required.
Still requires a lift to make the corners through the top of Skyline, as it’s simply too fast.
Bentley can be pushed hard into The Esses as the tyres hold on almost limitlessly, just be cautious not to clear the crest with too much angle.

Mount Panorama – V2

The main focus on optimising the Bathurst setup was on improving front end compliance and overall rotation of the car through the slow speed corners whilst also providing enough stability downhill.
We tested lower downforce setups and the gain down the back straight was minimal and efficient for the high speed corners so a high downforce setup has been used.
The dampers despite looking overdamped provide a good aerodynamic balance through the high speed corners. The springs are relatively soft on the setup with ample bumpstop travel range. This means that the stiffer high speed dampers provide bump support downhill and stabilise the car.

Snetterton

Quite aggressive rear toe as the car was lacking rotation on the rear.
The car seems sensitive to pitching at higher speed so the front wheel rates have been adjusted. Also the bumpstop range in front is run low as the car was getting really loose on exits. To still provide good rotation on the front, the front arb has been softened.
The preload is low to allow sharper a bit more rotation through hairpins and together with stiffer rear arb it sharpens the entries.
Damping has been set to provide smoother handling over the aggressive kerbs.
For the RS setup, the front ride height has been raised to limit the collisions with aggressive kerbs. The preload is also a click higher to provide a more stable entry into T1.
Quali setup uses TC 1 which is aggressive and may require throttle control in some of the corners but is needed to maximise exits.

Snetterton – V2

The 02 setups provide better stability into turn 1. They give better traction out of corners and get rid of excessive roll which was causing handling problems.
For better grip the negative rear toe has been changed to a neutral setting.
Turn 1 instability was caused mostly by brake bias that was too low. However, to improve entry further, the front arb, front bumpstop rate and front bump damping were stiffened.
To maintain good rotation at low speed the front bumpstop range was raised.
For high speed rotation the preload, rear ride height and rear bump damping have been raised.
For better handling over kerbs the front ride height was raised by 1mm.

Oulton Park

A very well balanced car thanks to a stiff rear end that helps to reduce understeer through the two chicanes. The car is able to ride the curbs well and gain good traction on the exit of the corner.
The car is very forgiving at the limit and wont snap unexpectedly throughout the lap. Having a high aero set up definitely contributes to this.

Oulton Park V2

Reducing the front spring rates and increasing the front anti roll bar allowed for a significant amount of time to be found through the lap. All understeer in the car was removed while maintaining the ability to turn in well.
Sector two is key for lap time, with the set up having good curb control through the chicanes allowing for aggressive steering inputs.

Watkins Glen

Negative toe on the front helps a lot for increased rotation and stability in high-speed corners.
Stiff ARBs for increased stability and reactivity in the bus stop chicane.
Increased the front ride height on the front, for stability over the kerbs.
For qualifying we increased the toe and the rear ride height to maximise the rotation.
For safe setup we increased the front fast bump to have a more stable and smooth reaction from the car.

Watkins Glen V2

Changes from R01’s.
Softer front roll bar and softer springs to give better grip at given loads.
Less preload to aid rotation along with higher front bumpstop range to increase turn-in ability.
Dampers adjusted to make power application less “snappy”.
Slightly lower ride height all round.
The safe setup uses higher front ride height, softer rear bumpstops and less preload for better stability and traction along with higher TC.

COTA

Setup built to be aggressive but stable throughout the high aero sections.
Lots of rake, combined with quite low rear bumpstop range and stiff rear damping to reduce oscillations and optimise aero stability.
Negative toes to support turn in, most notable throughout sector 3.
Balance is heavily influenced by throttle input – precise inputs are required to maximise sectors 1 and 2.
If struggling with on-throttle understeer, try reducing rear bumpstop range and increasing preload by a few clicks, or inversely if struggling with on-throttle oversteer, soften rear ARB and reduce rear ride height

COTA V2

The car wants to understeer all the way through sector one, to overcome this the front spring rates have been softened to their minimum. The rear springs have also been softened slightly to help reduce understeer.
Both race setups provide a consistent car that will not be too aggressive through the corners. To help through sector 1, the TC value can be increased from 3 to 4 to aid traction.

Indianapolis

Indy is quite bumpy so dampers and suspension are set to handle this issue. Rotation has been gained through front bumpstop and rake.
For quali, a stiffer car was manageable for extra responsiveness without compromising ride quality.

Indianapolis V2

Front arb has been stiffened to provide stability and response, with the bumpstops and wheel rates tweaked for more rotation.
Dampers adjusted slightly for better handling.

Valencia

The chicane sequence in the third sector can tend to be a bit slippery, but it’s been optimised as much as possible with the fast race setup without compromising the balance of the car. The chicane gets easier to deal with over time with the fuel level dropping so the car will tend to become safer through the stint, whilst still maintaining enough rotation in high speed corners.
The approach is slightly different to Nurburgring, with both tracks being one of the earlier ones to be worked on. The car here uses a slightly stiffer ARB configuration than Nurburgring, with much stiffer dampers. The kerbs here are more aggressively slippery which means a stiffer wheel rate combination would be needed to prevent bottoming out the chassis and better vibration control would be required with the help of stiffer fast damping. The slow dampers also help with initial impact. The traction has been optimised with differences in the bumpstop configuration.

Valencia V2

Increased the rake and the toe to maximise the rotation.
Decreased the differential to increase the rotation off throttle.
Increased the rear wheel rate to increase the rotation on throttle.
TC off for T1 to maximise the lap time.

Team List

Please note, sessions with no engineer shown were solo sessions:

Track	Driver	Engineer
Barcelona	Aidan Walsingham	Saiduth Ramesh
Hungaroring	Amedeo Castorino
Imola	Amedeo Castorino
Kyalami	Chris Hack	Saiduth Ramesh
Laguna Seca	Hubert Szymanski
Misano	Taariq Adam
Monza	David Pertile	Saiduth Ramesh
Mount Panorama	Aidan Walsingham
Nurburgring	`David Pertile	Saiduth Ramesh
Paul Ricard	Amedeo Casotrino	David Skidmore
Spa Francorchamps	Luka Berk	David Skidmore
Suzuka	Amedeo Dekeyser	David Skidmore
Zandvoort	David Pertile	Saiduth Ramesh
Zolder	Aidan Walsingham
Brands Hatch	Hubert Szymanski
Donington	Taariq Adam
Oulton Park	Chris Hack	David Skidmore
Snetterton	Hubert Szymanski
Silverstone	Aidan Walsingham
Watkins Glen	Amedeo Castorino
Indianapolis	Taariq Adam
COTA	Aidan Walsingham
Valencia	Amedeo Castorino	Saiduth Ramesh