Top 3 Fastest F1 Races Ranked: 2024 Leclerc Joins Legends

Formula 1 cars are widely regarded as the fastest and most advanced racing cars in the world. However, when people compare eras, it's difficult to determine which one was better. One stat that could help in that regard is the average speed during a race.

In the 2025 F1 season, we've had some thrilling racing and lap records at certain tracks have fallen. Want to bet on who will grab the Fastest Lap at any event this year? QuickWin casino can help you join the 2025 F1 action.

Despite the fact that we've seen some of the fastest F1 cars ever in recent years, racing times and average speeds remain similar throughout the history of the series.

Here, we will give you the three fastest races in Formula 1 history. Of course, we will consider the average speed of the Grand Prix winner.

Why take into account the average speed and not the time of the race? Many races were shortened due to inclement weather or accidents, which creates issues on the list. However, the fastest race in terms of time (without any red flags or any other issues) was the 2003 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Was that race also the fastest in terms of average speed? Let us take a look.

Here are the three fastest F1 races in history:

#3 2024 Italian Grand Prix

Monza is "The Temple of Speed," and that nickname is just a fact. The Italian track has given us most of the speed records in the series, including the quickest lap during qualifying (Lewis Hamilton in the 2020 Mercedes W11 - 264.362 km/h-164.267 mph).

In 2024, surprisingly, we saw the third fastest F1 race in terms of average speed.

As Charles Leclerc won an uninterrupted Italian Grand Prix, the one-stopping Monegasque driver drove his Ferrari around the 5.793km circuit at an average speed of 246.431 km/h.

It was Leclerc's second win at Monza after his 2019 triumph and his seventh F1 victory.

#2 2005 Italian Grand Prix

Juan Pablo Montoya and V10 engines will definitely bring a nostalgic smile to the faces of many Formula 1 fans.

In 2005, the Colombian won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with an average speed of 247.097 km/h. He was driving the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20.

It was Montoya's sixth win and his second with McLaren, after the 2005 British Grand Prix.

#1 2003 Italian Grand Prix

Again, the nostalgic V10 engines go to the forefront. Michael Schumacher's legendary run with the Scuderia Ferrari included many records, such as his five consecutive drivers' titles between 2000 and 2004, and establishing records for most wins and Pole Positions (both broken by Lewis Hamilton later).

One of Schumacher's fiercest battles for the championship came in 2003, when young drivers Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren) and Juan Pablo Montoya pushed the German legend to the limit.

With three races left in the calendar, F1 arrived in Monza with Schumacher leading Montoya and Raikkonen by one and two points, respectively.

After a five-race winless streak, the German went to work at Monza and recorded Pole Position. On Sunday, he battled against Montoya's early attacks and won the race at an average speed of 247.585 km/h.

Eventually, Schumacher won his sixth F1 title over Raikkonen by two points in the final race, surpassing Juan Manuel Fangio's all-time F1 record of championships.

The 2003 Italian Grand Prix ran for an hour with 13 minutes and 19.838 seconds, the shortest completed race ever. The 2023 race at Monza was the shortest non-red-flagged race in F1 history, but it was shortened by two laps due to aborted starts.

It was Schumacher's fifth win of 2003 and the 69th win of his F1 career.

✅ Check out more posts with related topics: