How fast do Formula 1 cars go? Analyzing the F1 top speed, record holder, and more

The largest draw for drivers and fans all around the world is the speed. The same can be said for almost any racing series, from F1 to Le Mans, to NASCAR to Moto GP.

Fans return craving more excitement because of the rivalries, the skill, the victories, and the sadness. But the most alluring aspect of racing may be the pure thrill of seeing vehicles accelerate as quickly as they can.

F1 cars can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in around 2.6 seconds. The top race speed of a Formula 1 car has been 223mph and the fastest a car has ever been driven on track is 246.9mph.

This may seem sluggish given their highest speed. However, because most of their speed comes from aerodynamics, which performs better the faster the car is moving, they are unable to start with all of their power.

Due to differences in power, aerodynamics, and technology, various series have extremely distinct peak speeds. An F1 driver's determination to learn how to brake as late as possible also plays a part in their respective speeds on the circuit.

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F1 record-breaking speeds, and the driver and team to achieve it

Honda Racing's recording shattering Formula 1 race car

The fastest a race car has gone in a F1 Grand Prix was in 2016, by Valtteri Bottas who cruised at nearly 235mph in his Wiliams at Baku. To think some driver, car, or team could break this record seemed quite unlikely.

But 15 years ago, Honda Racing set a miraculous target of 400 km/h, which sounds both doable and unachievable. They proceeded to the renowned Bonneville Salt Flats to test their abilities in an effort to surpass it.

The driver for this attempt was Honda test driver Alan van de Merwe. He told F1 in 2017:

“We knew it was a ridiculous idea. 400km/h. We’d said it wasn’t possible: the cars do the speed they do on the track, 360-370km/h with a tow, you can’t make them go faster.”

Recalling the day of the testing, Alan said:

“There’s no feedback. You’re surrounded by this vast whiteness. The only way you know you’re going fast is because your helmet is getting pulled off your head and the car is screaming in seventh gear.”

As the crew adapted to the surface, Alan cruised with the objective in mind. His precision increased as he learned how the car would respond and when to shift into a lower gear to prevent spinning the wheels. Alan started moving faster and faster and before the team knew it, Honda Racing had their Top Gun: Maverick moment as they crossed 400kmph.

This advertising gimmick is rather epic, to put it mildly. The quickest F1 car ever is a Honda. They accomplished this by embracing a whole new motorsport discipline and modifying it to perform the seemingly impossible.