Why F1 cars are only at the limit 3.1% of the time

By crunching the numbers from the last 12 seasons, it's possible to calculate how often Formula 1 drivers take their cars to the ultimate limit. The conclusions are startling and show where F1 should be working to fix the issues laid bare

Edd Straw Jan 23, 2019, 12:00 PM

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How often do you see a Formula 1 car on the limit in modern grand prix racing? It's a difficult question to answer, because the limit varies according to conditions, fuel load, tyres and myriad other factors. But in its simplest form, it's a car lapping at close to its optimum lap time.

F1 changed dramatically at the start of the decade with the refuelling ban, then the introduction of high-degradation Pirelli tyres a year later. The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of this latest no-fuel-stops era, was met by a complaining chorus both inside and outside the F1 paddock about 'the show' that soon became a steady drumbeat, a cacophonous background noise that is the manifestation of F1's existential crisis that can't be tuned out.