Fastest F1 Cars

Determining which Formula One car is the fastest is not as simple as it may seem. Arguments can be made that the fastest car is either the one that travels fastest in ideal conditions, turns in the fastest speed during a single lap, averages the highest speed over the course of a race or consistently outperforms other cars over the span of an entire season.

  1. Fastest Grand Prix

    • At the 1971 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Peter Gethin recorded the fastest average speed in any Grand Prix race in history to that point. Gethin pushed his BRM V-12 powered car to an average speed of 242.616 km/h. Driving for the Yardley BRM team, Gethin managed to beat other BRM-powered cars, as well as the Tyrrell driven by Francois Cevert. The win would be Gethin's only Grand Prix victory.

    Fastest Lap

    • Juan Pablo Montoya turned in a record-setting lap speed of 262.242 km/h in 2004, during pre-qualifying at Monza. He was driving a Williams FW27, a car designed by Gavin Fisher and Loic Bigois. Two years earlier, Montoya had earned the pole position at Monza by running a qualifying lap at 259.845 km/h. That year, Montoya was driving a Williams FW25.

    Highest Number of Fastest Laps in a Season

    • Consistent speed is even more important than a one-time performance, and two drivers have achieved 10 fastest lap honors in a single season in cars built by Ferrari and McLaren. In 2004, Michael Schumacher accomplished the feat with a Ferrari F248. Kimi Räikkönen turned in the fastest lap at 10 races, in two different seasons. The first time, in 2005, he drove a McLaren MP4-20. The second time, in 2008, Räikkönen was behind the wheel of a Ferrari F2008.

    Bonneville Speed Attempt

    • Outside of the unpredictable conditions of a race, Formula One cars can travel even faster. In 2006, an attempt was made to set a new speed record for a Formula One car at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The Honda 007 was driven by Alan van der Merwe, and the car adhered to all F1 race regulations. The car achieved a flying kilometer speed of 355.4999 km/h. The car's team had hoped to achieve 400 km/h, but less than ideal traction conditions hindered the car's speed.