41 replies to this topic

[Motormedia]

Is the 1971 Italian Grand Prix still the fastest ever? Peter Gethin won one hundreth of a second in front of Ronnie Peterson and his average speed was 150.754 mph.

Motormedia

[Tigershark]

If my conversion worked out, the Italian GPs of 2003 and 2004 finished with a higher average speed, 153.843 and 151.847 mph. It's 247.586 and 244.374 km/h anyway.

[NinjaMouse]

Is this F1 exclusive?.....

My geuss, and it is only a geuss, is that the ovals would provide a better chance to go higher average speeds?.....

Fastest race ever? Or fastes F1 race ever?

[Ultra150]

Originally posted by NinjaMouse
Is this F1 exclusive?.....

My geuss, and it is only a geuss, is that the ovals would provide a better chance to go higher average speeds?.....

Fastest race ever? Or fastes F1 race ever?

F1.

[Motormedia]

I'm sorry! Fastest F1 race.

Motormedia

[Atreiu]

The 2005 race was quicker than the 2004 and only 9 seconds slower than 2003. Very impressive for an engine that had to last two weekends. Even the 2006 race was quicker than the 2004.

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by Atreiu
The 2005 race was quicker than the 2004 and only 9 seconds slower than 2003. Very impressive for an engine that had to last two weekends. Even the 2006 race was quicker than the 2004.

The 2004 race started on a wet track - the winner started on intermediates IIRC!

[NinjaMouse]

CHeers for clearing that up....

Well, the fastest I have ever driven a car, was 130mph on the M5.....(was late at night in a time before speed cameras....lol..)

And frankly, it scared the willies out of me......and it was pretty straight road too......

I've been on centrifuge too. SO when I put those two experiences together in my mind.....and then imagine an AVERAGE that is 20mph quicker, with some pretty serious bends thrown in....one has to say...

Wow....lol.....

Has the track changed much since then? New chicanes thrown in etc?...

.

[Smudger]

Yes, the track has been completely emasculated since 1971.

[Smudger]

Not sure if it is still the fastest race ever, but I believe it is still the closest finish ever (subject to caveats about the methods used at the time) at 0.010 seconds.

[Atreiu]

Originally posted by scheivlak
The 2004 race started on a wet track - the winner started on intermediates IIRC!

Yes.

I'm not sure how much time was lost while the track was damp, but the pace shown afterwards was frenetic anyhow.

[Smudger]

Originally posted by Tigershark
If my conversion worked out, the Italian GPs of 2003 and 2004 finished with a higher average speed, 153.843 and 151.847 mph. It's 247.586 and 244.374 km/h anyway.

The 2003 race was the fastest ever.

[Kooper]

Originally posted by scheivlak
The 2004 race started on a wet track - the winner started on intermediates IIRC!

Rubens started on intermediates (the only driver IIRC). He ran away from the field for about 3 or 4 laps then the tyres were shot. Schui spun on one of the early laps & fell to last place. The 2004 Ferrari was so dominant they finished 1-2 anyway w/ Rubens winning.

[Seebar]

When he won the 1937 race at the AVUS, Hermann Lang reached an average speed of about 260 km/h. Not wanting to start a debate on what's F1, and what is a Grand Prix; but that would be the fastest race.

But post-1950, Monza 2003 as stated before is the fastest.

[Smudger]

The Avusrennen was a scary race...
Accidents there were on the big side.

[stormshadow]

Yep 2003 Monza - fantastic pace from MS not to mention Juan Pablo giving chase .
High pressure must win race.
Who can ever forget the 2 banging wheels through curva grande on lap1 ! Brilliant!

[Motormedia]

Originally posted by Seebär
When he won the 1937 race at the AVUS, Hermann Lang reached an average speed of about 260 km/h. Not wanting to start a debate on what's F1, and what is a Grand Prix; but that would be the fastest race.

But post-1950, Monza 2003 as stated before is the fastest.

Well, I was interested in F1 from 1950 and onwards, but that piece of information was still welcome. Given the machinery, and safety (cars and track), those figures are just awesome. I remember driving an Austin Healey from the late fifties, I believe, and to imagine people racing with a car like that, and it was prolly a much more modern car than Langs car, it is just unbelievable.

And thanks all, for the information.

Motormedia

[Smudger]

Lang's car was a Mercedes W125 Formula A Grand Prix car. It was a streamlined version of the normal GP car (the Avusrennen was to Formule Libre). 5.5 litre supercharged, 595bhp. Rather a different beast...

[fastlegs]

Saturday, September 15, 2002: In qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, Juan Pablo Montoya had the fastest lap in Formula One history, with an average speed of about 162 mph.

The old record had stood for 17 years.

Juan Pablo turned the 3.6-mile track in 1 minute, 20.264 seconds.

[Mastah]

In 2004 Rubens was on pole with 1:20.089 - 161.820 mph, but in the pre-qualifying Montoya made 1m19.525 - 162.968mph (and Ferraris really didn't care about good results in this session, so I suppose they could achieve 1:19.2-3). Also de la Rosa in 2005 FP1 made 1:20.201.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by NinjaMouse
Is this F1 exclusive?.....

My geuss, and it is only a geuss, is that the ovals would provide a better chance to go higher average speeds?.....

Fastest race ever? Or fastes F1 race ever?

Rarely do over a race distance though, since the throw a caution everytime someone in the grandstand farts.

[Risil]

Originally posted by Dudley


Rarely do over a race distance though, since the throw a caution everytime someone in the grandstand farts.

Arie definitely got over 180mph in his first Indy victory. And I believe the record's a little higher at Michigan, before the surface became too degraded and before extreme numbers of caution flags (or just poor driving) started invading the sport in the mid-'90s.

[Atreiu]

Originally posted by Risil


Arie definitely got over 180mph in his first Indy victory. And I believe the record's a little higher at Michigan, before the surface became too degraded and before extreme numbers of caution flags (or just poor driving) started invading the sport in the mid-'90s.

There was also Montoya's Indy win.
Wasn't it one of the fastest?

[Ivan]

I goggled "fastest ever F1 race" and this thread popped up.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Just for the record, this certainly would compete with the fastest average speed over a race ever (500 miles!

The fastest race in NASCAR's history was the 1997 Winston 500 at Talladega. It was a caution-free race and had an average speed of 188.354. Mark Martin in a Ford Thunderbird was the winner.

[Risil]

Originally posted by Atreiu


There was also Montoya's Indy win.
Wasn't it one of the fastest?

Probably too many crashes and cautions. Certainly it took Monty a quarter of an hour longer than Luyendyk, in spite of similar qualifying speeds.

Does anyone remember what results that computer simulation came up with, when the speed of Patrese's Williams-Renault around pre-chicane Monza was estimated?

[Georg_Kuyumji]

Montoyas Qualy lap in 2002. Very nice how he keept the momentum up with snap oversteer in Lesmo 1 and in Variante Ascari

[john winfield]

Fastest or not, here's some superb footage that 'nmansellfan' has found.



(NMF...just in case anyone missed it on the YouTube thread. The odd bits of resurfaced tarmac had me going for a while too!)

[jeze]

The fastest race overall I'd suggest, was the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead this year, a race that went without cautions, and Dario Franchitti took the victory averaging 201,463 mph.

[johnmhinds]

Did they have refueling/tyre stops in 1971?

If not then Monza 2003 speed is even more impressive because it includes pit stops.

Edited by johnmhinds, 23 December 2009 - 10:49.

[stonebutter]

Is this F1 exclusive?.....

My geuss, and it is only a geuss, is that the ovals would provide a better chance to go higher average speeds?.....

Fastest race ever? Or fastes F1 race ever?

wow great post.

[noikeee]

Did they have refueling/tyre stops in 1971?

If not then Monza 2003 speed is even more impressive because it includes pit stops.

And braking for several chicanes, of course.

[juicy sushi]

Indeed, if they ran the same layout at 1971 the average speed would no doubt be in the 300+km/h range.

[johnmhinds]

And braking for several chicanes, of course.

I completly forgot them as well.

Has there ever been a race between F1 cars from different eras to show their relative speeds?

[Jones Foyer]

Is this F1 exclusive?.....

My geuss, and it is only a geuss, is that the ovals would provide a better chance to go higher average speeds?.....

Fastest race ever? Or fastes F1 race ever?

Big ovals are faster if you don't have a lot of cautions. Full course cautions and safety cars kill average speeds, but this record, stands after nearly 20 years:

Indy 500, 185.981 mph / 299.307 km/h, Netherlands Arie Luyendyk, 1990

[aditya-now]

Fastest or not, here's some superb footage that 'nmansellfan' has found.



(NMF...just in case anyone missed it on the YouTube thread. The odd bits of resurfaced tarmac had me going for a while too!)

Wow, those were the days!!!

Just imagine such a race in 2010 between Alonso, Schumacher, Vettel, Hamilton and Massa!!!!!!
And these guys would have fun if such slipstreaming would be possible today....

Edited by aditya-now, 23 December 2009 - 21:09.

[bduddy]

Big ovals are faster if you don't have a lot of cautions. Full course cautions and safety cars kill average speeds, but this record, stands after nearly 20 years:

Indy 500, 185.981 mph / 299.307 km/h, Netherlands Arie Luyendyk, 1990

That's the Indy 500 record. This I believe is the overall record for any closed-course race....
Toyota Indy 400, 207.151 mph, Sam Hornish Jr., 2003
http://www.racing-re...2...15&series=O

There was one full-course caution for six laps.

[Jones Foyer]

Fastest or not, here's some superb footage that 'nmansellfan' has found.



(NMF...just in case anyone missed it on the YouTube thread. The odd bits of resurfaced tarmac had me going for a while too!)

Fantastic action!

[pingu666]

that footage really makes you wish for hanford wings doesnt it ? ignore the first chicane, straighten out the second maybe, I quite like the 3rd chicane so keep that...

[Craven Morehead]

Yes, the track has been completely emasculated since 1971.

Well, perhaps not *completely*. To see a great track completely immasculated one need look no further than Hockenheim.

[pingu666]

i quite like the new hockenheim, the big shame is they tore up the old track

[Risil]

Wow, those were the days!!!

Just imagine such a race in 2010 between Alonso, Schumacher, Vettel, Hamilton and Massa!!!!!!
And these guys would have fun if such slipstreaming would be possible today....

The way those guys block and weave it'd be a disaster.