‘Back then, a fast reaction meant you dropped your cigarette when the flag moved.’
In 1950, F1 drivers wore goggles, smoked cigars, and guessed when to go.
In 2025, they train like fighter pilots, and a reaction faster than 0.2 seconds gets you penalised for being too quick.
Do you want to know how long the average driver reacts to a green light?
Long enough for Max Verstappen to disappear into the next postcode.”
1950: The Dawn of F1
• Silverstone hosts the first F1 World Championship race.
• Starts were flagged, drivers wore short sleeves, and the only G-force training was holding on for dear life.
• Reaction times: ~0.5–0.6 seconds—better than today’s average driver, but worlds behind modern F1 pros.
Today: The Age of Precision
• Modern F1 drivers react in 0.2–0.3 seconds—just quick enough to dodge bees at 200mph.
• Your average road-goer? 0.7–1.0 seconds. When they noticed the lights changed, an F1 car was already at Turn 1.
How They Do It
• Tools like Batak walls, strobe goggles, and virtual launch drills simulate start-line chaos.
• They practise thousands of starts.
• It is not just a reaction, but throttle modulation, bite point, and tyre feel.
Rules of Reflex
• React faster than 0.2s, and it’s called a ‘jump start’—not skill, apparently, but witchcraft.
• The Launch Control era (2000s) automated much of this. It was banned. The sport wanted heroes again, not buttons.
2025: 75 Years On
• From hay bales to halos.
• Reaction speed remains king. Because no matter the year, Formula 1 has always been a race against time.
‘Back then, the cars had 300 horsepower, and drivers had moustaches. Now they’ve got 1,000 horsepower and a team of scientists monitoring their eyelids.‘
