How fast is an F1 car? Top speeds of F1, IndyCar, MotoGP and more

For drivers and fans across the world, it’s the speed in particular that provides the biggest attraction. And the same is true in virtually every series of motorsport.

The rivalries, the talent, the triumph and the heartbreak also keep fans coming back for more, but the sheer adrenaline of seeing cars drive as fast as possible is perhaps the most intoxicating element of all.

Different series have very different top speeds depending on their power, aerodynamics and technology. Even the commitment from individual drivers – figuring out how to brake as late as possible – plays a part too.

Then you have to factor in the nature of the tracks themselves: Le Mans is a very different prospect to the Monaco Grand Prix, just as the Indy 500 is a world apart from the Monte Carlo Rally.

So how do the various series compare with each other?

Formula 1

Top race speed: 360km/h / 223mph
Fastest ever speed: 397.36km/h (246.9mph)
Acceleration: 0-60mph – approximately 2.6s

F1 cars accelerate from 0 – 60mph in roughly 2.6 seconds. This might seem slow given their top speed, however as a lot of their speed comes from the aerodynamics (which works better the quicker the car is going), they can’t unleash full power from a standing start.

Valtteri Bottas currently holds the record for the highest speed in an F1 race, hitting 372.5km/h (231.4mph) in the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. While this is certainly fast, F1 cars aren’t quite the fastest single-seaters – that accolade goes to IndyCar. While F1 isn’t as quick in a straight line, the series’ focus on downforce and cornering speeds means that F1 cars are generally faster over an entire lap.

Both F1 and IndyCar race at the Circuit of the Americas and in its first appearance at the circuit in 2019 the IndyCar pole time was 1m46.018s with an average speed of 186.349km/h. Meanwhile, F1’s pole time set by Valtteri…