The Time We Went Faster Than Anyone in Formula 1 History

When Valtteri Bottas and the FW38 shattered the Formula 1 race weekend speed record in Baku

Published

17 SEP 2025

Est. reading time

1 min

Sometimes in Formula 1, the numbers speak for themselves – and Qualifying at the 2016 European Grand Prix spoke very loudly.

In Baku that weekend, Valtteri Bottas and Williams Racing were about to break new ground. The FW38 was set up for low drag, and with a 2.2km flat-out stretch waiting from Turn 16 to Turn 1, it had the ideal stage to show what it could do.

That weekend came with plenty of hype. It was Baku’s maiden F1 appearance, featuring a unique layout that threaded through ancient city walls before blasting down an ultra-long straight from Turn 16 to Turn 1. The talk in the paddock was all about top speeds, and the team certainly delivered.

The speed trap during Qualifying captured his Williams machine at 366.1 km/h (227.48 mph). But that trap was well before the braking zone. Still carrying momentum, with his DRS flap wide open and a slipstream from the car ahead, Valtteri kept accelerating.

Our trackside engineers confirmed what the data showed: at the end of that run, Valtteri hit 378 km/h (234.88 mph) before lifting off the throttle to begin his next lap.

It remains the fastest speed ever recorded during an official F1 session – a record that still stands today.

Want to know more about just how fast an F1 car can go? Click here.

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