F1 Cars: Are They The World’s Fastest?
Every sports car passionate has at least once asked the question: are F1 cars the fastest cars in the world? And here we have the long-awaited answer.
To answer this question we need to niche it down a bit. Let me explain. On a rally setup, it is obvious that a rally car would smash an F1 car. So for argument sake, we will consider an asphalt track, either straight or with turns like a circuit.
Some supercars have a top speed that exceeds an F1 car’s top speed. Take for instance the famous Bugatti Veyron that can go up to 268 mph (430 kph) or the Bugatti Chiron that can go up to 304 kph (490 kph). Both of these cars are faster than an F1 on a long straight line. The absolute record of an F1 car has been set by Juan Pablo Montoya with a speed of 232 mph (373 kph) according to the Guinness World Record.
However, on a race circuit, not a straight line, F1 cars are by far the fastest. When it comes to braking, accelerating and cornering, F1 cars have no competition. It is head and shoulders above any other car that exists. Take for instance the acceleration, the fastest F1 cars can go from 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) in about 1.6 seconds whereas the Bugatti Veyron does it in 2.5 seconds.
So the answer is: on long straight lines F1 cars are not the fastest cars in the world however on a race track they are.
For more details you can keep reading. We have a lot more to share.
Speed Comparison Between F1 Cars and Supercars on a Long Straight Line
| F1 Car | Top Speed Measured During the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | SuperCar | Top Speed Measured |
| RedBull RB15 | 345.6 kph / 214 mph | Bugatti Chiron | 490 kph / 305 mph |
| Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 | 322.0 kph / 200 mph | Bugatti Veyron | 431 kph / 268 mph |
| Ferrari SF90 | 330.8 kph / 205 mph | Koenigsegg Agera S | 447 kph / 278 mph |
| Renault RS 19 | 334.0 kph / 207 mph | Hennessey Venom GT | 435 kph / 270 mph |
| McLaren MCL 34 | 334.6 kph / 208 mph | SSC Ultimate Aero | 412 kph / 256 mph |
According to the data, F1 cars are not the fastest in the world when it comes to pure speed. There is a caveat though: F1 cars are faster on a quarter-mile as they accelerate better. Once the supercar has enough speed, it starts to catch the F1 car. Over a short straight line, the F1 car is faster but over a long straight line, the supercar outpaces the F1 car.
Now let’s see they compare on a race track.
Speed Comparison Between F1 Cars and Supercars on a Race Track
Speed on a race track is determined by not only top speed but also braking, accelerating and cornering.
Braking
F1 cars’ braking system is better than any other car in the world. Let’s take for instance the Bugatti Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron has a braking time of 4.2 seconds when going from 100 mph (160 kph) to 0. An F1 car can go from 125 mph (200 kph) to 0 in 65 m and in about 2.21 seconds. Half the braking time with a higher speed. This is quite impressive.
Accelerating
More impressive than that is the difference in acceleration. The Bugatti Veyron’s 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) time is 2.8 seconds compared to the 1.7 seconds of an F1 car. The most impressive thing is this: an F1 car can easily go from 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) and then to 0 again in under 5 seconds. They can go from 0 to 125 mph (200 kph) and then 0 again in about 6.1 seconds.
Aerodynamcis
F1 cars have been studied to take corners at high speed, often more than 125 mph (200 kph). Their aerodynamics is designed for this, especially the front and rear wings. This is easily demonstrated by the lap time that these cars make on a race track. You will find below the lap times of several sports car obtained on the Top Gear test track in Dunsfold. It shows that the closest car to an F1 car is 13 seconds away on a short racing track. That is quite a difference.
| Car model | Lap time |
| F1 Car | 00:59.0 |
| Ferrari 488 Pista | 01:12.7 |
| Dallara Stradale | 01:12.8 |
| Porsche 911 GT2 RS | 01:13.4 |
| McLaren 675 LT | 01:13.7 |
| Pagani Huayra | 01:13.8 |
| BAC Mono | 01:14.3 |
| Ariel Atom V8 500 | 01:15.1 |
| Dodge Viper ACR | 01:15.1 |
It clearly shows that straight-line speed is not all and that aerodynamics, braking and acceleration are essential elements of a fast car on a race track. When it comes to it, an F1 car has no match.
Now we know everything about the fastest car between an F1 and a supercar but I hear your next question: how was it a few decades ago?
A Quick Travel Through History
In order to make a comparison, we dug up all the top speeds of F1 cars and Supercars since the 50s. Here it goes.
Before 1990, F1 cars had higher top speeds than all supercars. In 1990, this changed with the evolution of the supercars’ technology and this led us to the situation we have today. Some supercars have higher top speeds than F1 cars but are no match when it comes to braking, accelerating and cornering.
What about other race cars? How do they compare to F1 cars?
A Case Study: F1 vs Indy Car vs Nascar
Top Speed
Nascar cars are quite heavy compared to Indy Car and F1 cars. Their top speed is around 200 mph (321 kph). The top speed of an IndyCar is almost the same as an F1 car 231 mph (373 kph). On top speed, Nascar and IndyCar are not faster than F1 cars.
Braking
This one is easy. Nascar and IndyCar race on tracks that don’t have a lot of twists and turns. Typically but not always, they race on ovals. They are not optimized for turns and have longer braking distances than F1 cars which are design for tight curves.
Acceleration
The average acceleration of a Nascar car from 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) is around 3.7 seconds. The average acceleration of an IndyCar is a bit higher: about 3 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph (100 kph). Whereas to go from 0 to 60 mph an F1 car only takes 1.7 seconds. F1 cars have better acceleration hands down.
Aerodynamics
This joins the point on braking. Although Indycar drivers take some turns during their races, they don’t take as many as in F1. As a result, they are not designed for this. Their aerodynamics are not as optimized as F1 cars’ for turns. This is demonstrated by the table below showing the record lap time by racing category on the Circuit of The Americas.
| Event | Class | Time | Car |
| 2019 United States Grand Prix Pole Position | F1 | 1:32.029 | Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ |
| 2019 United States Grand Prix | F1 | 1:36.169 | Ferrari SF90 |
| 2019 IndyCar Classic | LMP1 | 1:47.052 | Audi R18 e-tron quattro |
| 2013 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas | IndyCar | 1:48.895 | Dallara DW12 UAK18-Honda |
| 2017 IMSA Sportscar Showdown at COTA | LMP2 | 1:54.559 | Oreca 03 |
Between the F1 lap record and the Indy lap record, there is a whopping 15 seconds.
To Wrap It All
Some Supercars such as the Bugatti Chiron are faster on a long straight line than an F1 car. But other than this particular case, an F1 car is faster on a race track or a short straight line than any other supercar or race car. When it comes to braking, aerodynamics and acceleration it has no match.
