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The most incredible world records in F1 history
From the fastest-ever pit stop to the youngest driver to start a race, we delve into some of F1's most remarkable records.
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Intense speeds, apex engineering, dramatic competition and a surrounding hype that's bigger than ever – F1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport. The world championship racing series has existed in a realm of its own since 1950 — and there have been some mighty impressive milestones along the way. Buckle up for the most exciting, shocking and surprising Formula One records to date.
01
Fastest pit stop: McLaren Racing
The record: 1.80 seconds
All the McLaren Racing team needed was an astonishing 1.80 seconds to change the four tyres of Lando Norris's car and make pit stop history at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
The record-breaking stop propelled Lando Norris back onto the track in a blink, where he eventually crossed the finish line in third place. The flawless teamwork and precision demonstrated not only highlighted the ever-evolving technology and strategies when it comes F1 pit stops, but also showcased the crucial role the pit crew plays in a driver's success.
This lightning-fast feat surpassed the previous record of 1.82 seconds set by Red Bull in 2019 when the pit crew changed the four tires of Max Verstappen's RB15 at the Brazilian GP.
What's more, out-of-this-world pit stops have always been a speciality at Oracle Red Bull Racing. In addition to speed records, the crew literally performed a pit stop thousands of metres above the earth. Check out the video below:
2 min
Zero-G pit stop
Find out what happened when the mechanics tried to do a pit stop at zero gravity on a cosmonaut training plane.
Download the free Red Bull TV app and catch the latest action anywhere, any time, on any device.
02
Most starts: Fernando Alonso
The record: 360 races (and counting!)
No one in the history of Formula One has raced more than Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard – and world champion of 2005 and 2006 – passed Kimi Raikkonen's previous record of 349 race starts during the 2022 season. Still competing in F1 today, the 2024 season is set to rank up that total even more. Will he reach the ever-approaching 400 mark?
Fernando Alonso is still going strong in F1
© Peter Fox/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Fastest speed during a race: Valtteri Bottas
The record: 372.5kph
F1 simply ins't F1 without breathtaking speed, and at the 2016 Mexican GP, Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas set the mark to beat when he reached an official top speed of 372.5kph. The FIA even unofficially claimed 373.3kph, but either way, it made Bottas the first F1 driver to reach the 370kph mark in an official Grand Prix.
04
Quickest to earn a penalty: Sebastian Vettel
The record: 6 seconds
From becoming the youngest world champion to earning the most consecutive wins, Sebastian Vettel has broken just about every Formula One record throughout his 16-year career. But he managed to secure his first record mere seconds into his F1 career! He received the record for the fastest penalty ever handed out in his first F1 appearance – at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix. The offense? Vettel drove out of the garage and accelerated in the pit lane, earning him this famous speeding penalty just six seconds into his F1 career.
05
Youngest winner: Max Verstappen
The record: 18 years and 227 days
Max Verstappen’s record-setting career began in 2014 when he replaced Jean-Éric Vergne as part of his preparation for a full-time seat at Scuderia Toro Rosso in the 2015 season. Aged 17 years and three days, he was the youngest person in history to participate in an F1 race weekend.
Having become the youngest driver ever to score points in a GP in 2015, Verstappen would make the move to Red Bull Racing in 2016 and solidified his name into the history books when he became the youngest winner in F1 history – at 18 years and 227 days old – triumphing at the Spanish Grand Prix and beating the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel.
Verstappen becomes F1’s youngest winner in Spain
© David Ramos/Getty Images
06
Youngest and oldest drivers: Max Verstappen and Louis Chiron
The record: 17 years and 166 days – 55 years and 292 days
It comes as no surprise to learn that the youngest winner of a race was also the youngest driver to start a World Championship race. Handed a seat by Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Dutchman made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 17 years and 166 days – breaking Jaime Alguersuari's record by almost two years.
At the other end of the scale, the oldest GP competitor in Formula One history is Monegasque Louis Chiron, who took part in practice for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix at the age of 55 years and 292 days.
07
Closest margin in qualifying: 1997 European GP
The record: 0.000 seconds between first and third
The 1997 title final was destined for greatness, as Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve started the race in Jerez with just a point difference – and needless to say, it didn’t disappoint.
During qualifying, Villeneuve registered a 1m 21.072s lap time to secure pole position. Shortly after, Schumacher crossed the finish line in exactly the same time. Then, minutes later, Villeneuve's teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen matched the same time. Three cars, three identical lap times, measured to within a millisecond.
08
Fastest race: Michael Schumacher
The record: 1 hour 14 minutes and 19.838 seconds
The fastest Formula One race of all time took place in Monza when Michael Schumacher won the 2003 Italian Grand Prix with an average speed of 247.585kph and a total race time of just 1hr 14m and 19.838s. In doing so, the 2003 Italian Grand Prix became the shortest F1 race ever without the use of a red flag.
Michael Schumacher wins F1's fastest ever race
© Ferrari
09
Smallest winning margin: 1971 Italian GP
The record: The top 2 separated by just 0.01 seconds
A lot of incredible moments have happened at the finish line in Formula One racing. However, nothing quite compares to the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, where five cars crossed the finish line in a slipstream.
The result: Peter Gethin took the win. Then Ronnie Peterson followed just 0.01 back. Next came François Cevert at 0.09 seconds, Mike Hailwood at 0.18 and Howden Ganley at 0.61 seconds behind the winning time – making it the closest result in F1 history.
The finish to the 1971 Italian Grand Prix
© Popperfoto
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10
Shortest career: Marco Apicella
The record: 800 metres (2,600ft)
Many Formula One drivers have competed in just a single race, but none were shorter than Marco Apicella’s one and only F1 appearance at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.
The Italian driver impressed Eddie Jordan enough to give him a one-off drive in his home race for the Jordan team, but after being involved in a multi-car collision at the first corner on the very first lap, Apicella’s F1 career was over in just a few seconds.
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