Race car settings (e.g., Formula 1 engine mix settings) are developed for particular racing goals such as faster lap time, better acceleration, less vehicle wear, etc., using pattern templates that are derived from historical racing scenarios. The historical scenarios provide data on racing settings, racing results, and racing conditions such as squad information, equipment information, and environmental information. A cognitive (deep question answering) system can select an initial pattern template based on current racing conditions, and present suggested vehicle settings to the user (driver) using the initial pattern template. The driver can select from different candidate values for various factors, which may lead to the presentation of additional suggestions or the use of additional pattern templates. The final settings map is created based on the employed pattern templates and the driver selections.