What is the ideal process to setup a car, and could aliens give inputs to this ? Here I try to go this path :
1. Rough gearbox length, rough aero
2. Geometry (asap cause it modifies everything else)
3. Tyres pressures (same)
4. Rough dampers/suspension
5. Drive train
6. Brakes/Engine RPM
7. Fine tune gearbox length/gears
8. Fine tune aero
9. Fine tune dampers/suspension.
10. Try hard.
1. Tyre pressures - they won't be right at the end but you need them nearly right for the rest to actually work.
2. rough gearing (this is more like 1.5 as it's generally done while getting the tires right - you're only trying to get the car to hit nearly max revs in 5th at the fastest part of the track at this stage).
3. Aero + Geometry + springs/dampers. These 3 directly affect one another. More aero requires stiffer springs, stiffer springs require more damping, stiffer springs change ride height which changes nearly all geometry....
You'll have to experiment in stages at this point to balance your changes out as you work, so it can take several runs for it to start improving.
4. Diff settings + front/rear ride heiight - these are to suit
you and the setup you created, in the 75's I'm finding them critical in controlling the car behaviour at lower speeds when the aero stops working. Ride height can do a good job of helping the car to turn to suit you, the diff can limit or encourage over-rotation for you (when done right).
5. Have another fiddle with aero to see if you can make the car drive better/lap faster.
6. Serious gearing overhaul. Personally I run 1st long enough to be used in the slowest corners on tracks where that is useful (i.e. here). The car should be geared to avoid having to change under power in a corner wherever possible and also never drop below the useful power band (about 7.5/8000 RPM in the DFV stuff) unless you are in 1st.
7. finalise tire pressures.
8. Calculate fuel load for 45 mins + 1.5 laps - apply to setup and save for race. Test to see if the car remains drivable with the extra fuel - often improving the fully loaded car still results in a better car late in the race.
9. Start pretty much from scratch for a qualifying setup because the softs behave so differently
10. Somehow launch a car with 1st geared to 100Mph or more, then try not to die during the rest of the race.