Mazda MX-5 Cup

• Important correction first: the reference lap used Slicks (H), but the MX-5 Cup in AC is a semi-slick-only car — there is no slick compound selectable. I'm treating that lap's compound note as an error/mislabel and setting the car up on its actual semi-slick tyre with the correct cold pressures and optimum window for this compound.

TYRES

• Semi-slick (only compound available on this car).
• Cold pressures — front 27.5 PSI / 27.5 PSI, rear 28.0 PSI / 28.0 PSI.
• Target hot pressures: ~31–32 PSI all corners (semi-slick optimum window is higher than slicks).
• Optimal tyre operating temp for max grip: 80–90°C, peak around 85°C.
• No tyre blankets in this session — expect a cold out-lap; pressures above are chosen to reach the window quickly once worked.

ELECTRONICS

• TC: N/A (car has none)
• ABS: N/A (car has none)
• Engine Braking: fixed (not adjustable on this car)
• Brake Bias: 56.5% front (moved forward from the 75.0% logged on the reference lap — that figure is implausibly high for this car and almost certainly a data/logging anomaly; 56–58% front is the real usable range for an MX-5 Cup under max-attack braking)

SUSPENSION

• // FRONT
• Ride Height: 60 mm
• Wheel Rate FL / FR: 58000 N/m / 58000 N/m
• ARB: 14000 N/m
• Brake Torque Multiplier: 100%
• Brake Bias: 56.5%
• // REAR
• Ride Height: 65 mm
• Wheel Rate RL / RR: 50000 N/m / 50000 N/m
• ARB: 9000 N/m
• Diff Preload: 35 Nm
• Diff Coast: 0.5
• Diff Power: 0.4

DAMPERS

AERO

• Front wing: N/A — no aero on this car
• Rear wing: N/A
• Downforce: N/A
• Brake ducts: N/A

KEY SETUP NOTE

• Pau is a tight, bumpy, kerb-heavy street track with elevation changes — the MX-5's low grip and soft nature mean ride height and spring rates must stay compliant to keep all four tyres planted over kerbs; going stiff to chase rotation here will unsettle the car on exactly the corners (hairpins, kerb-riding chicanes) where this circuit demands mechanical grip over outright stiffness.

TRACK GUIDE

• Pau's tight hairpins (especially the uphill/downhill sections) reward late, trail-braked entries — carry brake pressure deep into rotation to maximize the MX-5's low grip ceiling rather than relying on mid-corner speed alone.
• Kerb usage must be conservative on the inside-heavy chicanes; this car's low ride height and soft setup can unsettle badly if you take too much kerb at once — clip lightly, don't ride it flat.
• Traction out of the slow corners is king — this track has several second-gear exits onto short straights, so prioritize a clean, early, straight-wheel throttle application over outright exit speed.
• The lap is won in the minimum-speed corners, not the fast ones — the MX-5 has no aero and little power, so rotation efficiency through the hairpins matters far more than straight-line speed.
• Watch for bumpy track surface changes mid-corner on the faster sweepers; the soft suspension setup here is specifically to absorb this without upsetting balance.

TYRES

• Semi-slick (spec compound). Cold pressures FL 27.5 / FR 27.0 / RL 27.0 / RR 26.5 PSI, targeting ~31–32 PSI hot across all four once up to temperature. Reference lap used slicks at low temps with 75kg fuel less than a race start — semi-slick optimum band sits higher, so cold pressures raised accordingly from the logged hot numbers. No tyre blankets assumed — first lap treated as a warm-up lap on cold rubber. Optimal operating window for the semi-slick compound is approximately 75–90°C for peak grip; keep an eye on the tyre app through the stint as deg builds track temp in the tyre carcass.

ELECTRONICS

• TC: N/A
• ABS: N/A
• Engine Braking: N/A (fixed, no adjustment on this car)
• Brake Bias: 72.5% front (moved slightly rearward from the 75.0% logged lap — that bias was set for a 25L qualifying-style fuel load; full tank at race start shifts weight rearward and cold/lower-temp tyres need less initial front bite to avoid lockup on the long Pau braking zones)

SUSPENSION

• // FRONT
• Ride Height: 55 mm
• Wheel Rate FL / FR: 58000 N/m / 58000 N/m
• ARB: 12000 N/m
• Brake Torque Multiplier: 100%
• Brake Bias: 72.5%
• // REAR
• Ride Height: 60 mm
• Wheel Rate RL / RR: 50000 N/m / 50000 N/m
• ARB: 8000 N/m
• Diff Preload: 30 Nm
• Diff Coast: 0.5
• Diff Power: 0.4

DAMPERS

AERO

• N/A — Mazda MX-5 Cup has no adjustable aero devices.

KEY SETUP NOTE

• Pau's street circuit combines heavy braking zones with tight, bumpy, kerb-lined corners — this spec MX-5 setup leans soft on ARBs and springs to keep all four semi-slicks loaded over the kerbs while still giving enough front bite for late braking; running the car too stiff here sacrifices mechanical grip exactly where this track punishes it most.

TRACK GUIDE

• Heavy braking zone into the Virage du Lycée (tight right-hander) — brake in a straight line, release pressure progressively to rotate the car on trail-brake rather than relying on front grip alone, since the semi-slicks lock earlier than slicks under abrupt input.
• Use the kerbs at the chicane complex aggressively but keep inputs smooth — the soft spring/damper setup lets you ride them without unsettling the rear, but sudden steering inputs mid-kerb will snap the rear loose.
• Traction out of the final corner onto the main straight is the biggest lap time opportunity — get the car rotated early, stay patient on throttle application to avoid overloading the inside rear tyre with the open diff-style low lock settings.
• Manage tyre deg by avoiding sustained high-slip-angle drifts through the fast uphill sweepers — the semi-slicks fall off quickly past 90°C if abused, costing more than one lap's worth of time over a race stint.
• Fuel load management: start heavier (~30-32L depending on race length) shifts brake bias rearward slightly as fuel burns — monitor braking stability late in the stint and be ready to trail-brake less aggressively as the car gets lighter and more front-biased in weight transfer.