What is the maximum speed of an F1 car?

F1 cars are, of course, fast single-seaters, but they are primarily designed to strike the right balance between top speed and cornering performance. Here is a brief overview of the maximum speeds achieved in F1 from 1950 to the present day, as well as the speed record ever recorded by an F1 car.

360 km/h is the typical top speed that modern Formula 1 cars equipped with a V6 engine can reach on their longest straights, depending on the track layout and a low downforce configuration. Four circuits on the current calendar are particularly well known for reaching the highest speeds: Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, and the Baku City Circuit. Their long, uninterrupted straights and configurations that favor pure speed over aerodynamic downforce in corners make them ideal for pushing the limits.

In 2019, Daniel Ricciardo reached 360 km/h on the final straight at Spa in his Renault RS19. That same year, Sebastian Vettel recorded an even higher speed of 365 km/h at Monza in his Ferrari, taking advantage of the slipstream of a slower car in front of him.

The absolute championship record remains that of Juan Pablo Montoya, who reached 372.6 km/h at the 2005 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, thanks to a V10 engine running at 19,000 rpm. By comparison, today's V6 engines are limited to 15,000 rpm. Valtteri Bottas also reached the remarkable speed of 361 km/h in a low downforce Williams-Mercedes at Monza in 2015. Examples of maximum speeds recorded during Grand Prix races (FIA radar checks, carried out before the braking zone):

– Singapore 308.3 km/h – Budapest 315.6 km/h – Silverstone 319.8 km/h – Nürburgring 321 km/h – Red Bull Ring 322.5 km/h – Monaco 325 km/h – Montreal 325 km/h – Austin 327.8 km/h – Bahrain 328 km/h – Sochi 328.3 km/h – Abu Dhabi 324 km/h – Portimão 330 km/h – Interlagos 330.6 km/h – Suzuka 330.7 km/h – Shanghai 331.1 km/h – Barcelona 336 km/h – Hockenheim 340.9 km/h – Le Castellet 342.5 km/h – Baku 346.3 km/h – Mexico City 357.9 km/h – Spa 360 km/h – Monza 354.6 km/h

How fast can an F1 car go in a straight line? In 2005, the Bonneville 400 team took a BAR-Honda to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah with the aim of breaking the 400 km/h barrier. The car had its rear wing removed and was equipped with a vertical wing on the engine cover, as well as a parachute for stopping. South African driver Alan Van der Merwe reached a top speed of 413.205 km/h, with an average of 400 km/h over a mile (1.61 km).