how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125

Learn about how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125


Updated October 27, 2025

If you’re wrestling with a twitchy car or a boaty one and can’t figure out how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125, you’re not alone. F1 25 hides suspension under the Car Setup screens, and small changes have big effects. This guide shows exactly where to go, what each slider does, and how to dial in a stable, fast setup.

Quick Answer

Open the garage, go to Car Setup > Suspension. Lower the Front/Rear Suspension and Anti‑Roll Bar values to soften; raise them to stiffen. Use softer settings for bumpy/kerby tracks and stiffer for smooth, high‑speed tracks. Make 1–3 click changes, save the setup, run a test lap, then fine‑tune. Remember: Parc Fermé can lock changes after qualifying begins.

Why how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125 Feels So Hard at First

  • The suspension is split across multiple sliders (springs, anti‑roll bars, ride height) with trade‑offs that aren’t obvious at first.
  • F1 25’s cars react strongly: a couple of clicks can flip the balance from understeer to snap oversteer.

By the end of this guide you’ll know where to change suspension, what each slider does in plain language, and a safe, step‑by‑step way to get a balanced car for any track.

What how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125 Actually Means in F1 25

In F1 25, “soft” vs “stiff” comes from three areas in the Suspension tab:

  • Front/Rear Suspension (springs)

    • Plain English: How easily the car compresses over bumps/kerbs.
    • Softer = more compliance and traction over bumps/kerbs, slower/looser response.
    • Stiffer = sharper turn‑in and flatter aero platform, but harsher and more likely to skip over kerbs.

  • Front/Rear Anti‑Roll Bars (ARBs)

    • Plain English: How much the car rolls in corners.
    • Stiffer front ARB reduces front grip mid‑corner (more understeer).
    • Stiffer rear ARB reduces rear grip mid‑corner (more oversteer).
    • Softer ARBs increase grip on that axle but feel “rollier.”

  • Front/Rear Ride Height

    • Not “stiffness,” but related. Lower = more downforce/drag efficiency but risk bottoming; higher = safer over bumps/kerbs, less aero efficiency.
    • Use ride height to stop floor strikes and calm kerb issues before cranking stiffness.

Short take:

  • To calm a bumpy, kerb-heavy track: softer springs/ARBs and a touch more ride height.
  • To sharpen a smooth, high‑speed track: stiffer springs/ARBs with as low a ride height as the car can tolerate.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

  • Game: F1 25 on the latest patch.
  • Modes where you can edit setups:
    • Time Trial: Always editable.
    • Career/My Team/Grand Prix: Editable in the garage. With Parc Fermé enabled, most suspension items lock once qualifying starts—change them during Practice.
    • Multiplayer: Depends on lobby rules; may be locked.
  • You’ll use these menus:
    • From the garage monitor: Car Setup > Suspension
    • Buttons: Save Setup, Load Setup

Note: Menu labels are consistent across modes; the layout shows tabs like Aerodynamics, Transmission, Suspension Geometry, Suspension, Brakes, Tyres. You want the Suspension tab.

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125

  1. Enter a session where setups are allowed

    • Best for testing: Time Trial (consistent grip, weather, fuel).

  2. Open the Car Setup

    • In the garage monitor, select Car Setup.
    • Navigate to the Suspension tab.

  3. Decide your goal

    • Need more comfort/traction over bumps and kerbs? You want softer.
    • Need sharper responses and stability in fast corners? You want stiffer.

  4. Soften or stiffen the springs

    • Adjust Front Suspension and Rear Suspension:
      • Lower number = softer. Higher = stiffer.
      • Start with 1–3 clicks.
    • Quick recipes:
      • Car skips over chicanes: lower both springs a bit.
      • Car feels lazy on turn‑in at smooth tracks: raise front spring slightly.

  5. Balance with anti‑roll bars (mid‑corner balance)

    • Adjust Front ARB and Rear ARB:
      • More front ARB = more understeer mid‑corner.
      • More rear ARB = more oversteer mid‑corner.
    • Quick recipes:
      • Mid‑corner understeer: soften front ARB or stiffen rear ARB by 1–2 clicks.
      • Mid‑corner oversteer: soften rear ARB or stiffen front ARB by 1–2 clicks.

  6. Safeguard with ride height (if bottoming/kerb strikes)

    • Raise Front/Rear Ride Height 1–2 clicks if you hear scraping, see sparks, or the car bounces on bumps.
    • Lower carefully on smooth tracks for lap time if the car isn’t bottoming.

  7. Save and test

    • Select Save Setup, name it clearly (e.g., “Monza v1 SoftRear”).
    • Do an out‑lap and 2–3 push laps. Pay attention to:
      • Kerb stability
      • Mid‑corner balance (under/oversteer)
      • Exit traction

  8. Iterate, one change at a time

    • Change only one pair (springs or ARBs) between tests so you know what helped.
    • Keep changes to 1–2 clicks until you’re close, then fine-tune.

Success looks like:

  • You can attack kerbs without the car hopping.
  • The car rotates as expected mid‑corner without snap oversteer.
  • Consistent lap times within a couple of tenths, with less steering correction.

Common Mistakes and Myths About how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125

  • Maxing sliders: Extreme stiff/soft values usually hurt consistency, especially on a controller.
  • Confusing Suspension Geometry (camber/toe) with stiffness: geometry changes grip/tyre temps, not spring/roll stiffness.
  • Ignoring ride height: If the floor is hitting, stiffness tweaks won’t fix it—raise the car a touch.
  • Changing many things at once: You won’t know what actually helped.
  • Copy‑pasting setups between tracks: Kerb profiles and bumps differ; what’s magic at Jeddah may be awful at Baku.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

  • I can’t edit the suspension

    • Likely cause: Parc Fermé or lobby rules.
    • Fix: Make changes in Practice/Time Trial, or use a lobby with setups enabled.

  • My changes didn’t apply on track

    • Likely cause: You didn’t hit Save Setup or you loaded the wrong file.
    • Fix: Save, then confirm the active setup name on the monitor before going out.
    • Note: Some modes keep separate Dry/Wet setups—ensure you edited the correct one if weather changed.

  • Car bounces or skips over kerbs even after softening

    • Causes: Too low ride height or still too stiff.
    • Fix: Raise ride height 1–2 clicks, soften springs another 1 click, and reduce ARB stiffness slightly.

  • Sudden mid‑corner oversteer after stiffening

    • Cause: Rear ARB too stiff or front ARB too soft.
    • Fix: Soften the rear ARB 1–2 clicks or stiffen the front ARB 1 click.

  • Persistent understeer in the middle of turns

    • Cause: Front ARB too stiff or rear too soft.
    • Fix: Soften front ARB 1–2 clicks or stiffen rear ARB 1 click.

  • Exit traction is poor (wheelspin, rear steps out)

    • Cause: Rear springs/ARB too stiff; ride height too low causing floor hits on throttle.
    • Fix: Soften rear spring 1–2 clicks, soften rear ARB 1 click, and consider +1 rear ride height.

  • On a controller, the car is too twitchy after stiffening

    • Cause: Excessive stiffness magnifies small thumb inputs.
    • Fix: Back off 2–3 clicks on front spring/ARB.
    • Don’t: Max these sliders—pad driving benefits from a bit of compliance.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

  • Track‑type baselines
    • Street/bumpy (Baku, Monaco, Singapore): Softer springs/ARBs, slightly higher ride height.
    • Smooth/high‑speed (Monza, Silverstone, Qatar): Stiffer springs/ARBs, as low ride height as the car can run without bottoming.
  • Tune to symptoms, not guesses
    • Entry instability (on brakes): A touch softer rear spring or softer rear ARB often helps; also consider brake bias and diff on‑brake.
    • Mid‑corner balance: Use ARBs first.
    • Kerb behavior and transitions: Use springs and ride height first.
  • Test in Time Trial for consistency, then verify in Grand Prix or Career with fuel and tyre wear.
  • Make notes: Track, change, lap time, and feel. It speeds up learning across the season.

How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)

  • You can drive three consecutive laps within ~0.2–0.4s with fewer steering corrections.
  • The car takes your chosen kerbs without bouncing or snapping.
  • Sector times improve in corners you targeted (e.g., the chicane you tuned for).
  • Tyre temps stay stable (no sudden spikes from constant sliding mid‑corner).
  • Now that you’ve nailed how to soften or stiffen suspension in F125, the next big gains come from:
    • Differential tuning for traction and stability.
    • Ride height and aero balance for straight‑line speed vs downforce.
    • Braking technique and brake bias for corner entry confidence.

Check out our guides on F125 differential setup, F125 ride height and aero balance, and F125 braking technique to keep the improvements rolling.

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