F1 reaction test
Five red lights come on one by one, then go out together. Click, tap or press Space the moment they go out. Five clean starts make one round.
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Why your device mattersHow you compare with F1 drivers
Average time from lights out to launch for F1 drivers, according to Formula1.com.
Not a like-for-like race
The driver figure runs until the car launches, which takes a clutch paddle and the throttle working together. Your time runs until your key goes down, and it also includes the delay of your screen and keyboard.
Use it as a marker
Treat 0.2 s as a rough marker for a great start, not a ranking. The random wait before lights out makes guessing risky: go early and it counts as a jump start.
Your starts
— Personal best
| Round | Average | Best | Jump starts | Measured on | Label |
|---|
No rounds yet. Finish a round and it shows up here.
How the lights work
Light 1
Light 2
Light 3
Light 4
Light 5
0.2 to 3 s after the fifth light
Lights out
One column a second
After you start, one column of lights comes on every second until all five are red. The FIA rules use the same one-second gap.
A random wait, then lights out
With all five lit, our lights go out after a random 0.2 to 3 seconds, the range Formula1.com describes. In a real race the starter decides the moment, so this test doesn't claim to match a race exactly.
Jump starts
Press while any light is still on and it's a jump start. It's counted, it doesn't go into your average, and that start is run again. There's no sound or other cue at lights out, only the lights.
This is an independent test made for fun. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Formula 1, the FIA or any team.
More tests
More reaction time games, each timed the same way.
Questions
What is a good F1 reaction time?
Formula1.com says F1 drivers launch their cars about 0.2 seconds after the lights go out, on average.² Anywhere near that is a great start here. Your screen and keyboard add a little delay that a race car doesn't have, so expect to land slightly behind.
Why do the lights stay on for a different time each start?
In a real race the starter decides when the lights go out, so drivers can't time it.¹ We copy that with a random wait of 0.2 to 3 seconds after the fifth light, the range Formula1.com describes.²
What counts as a jump start?
Pressing while any light is still on. It's counted under Jump starts, it doesn't go into your average, and that start is run again. A press less than 0.100 s after lights out is treated as a guess and run again too.
Is this the same as a real F1 start?
No. A driver's start time runs until the car moves, using the clutch paddle and throttle, while here you only press a key or tap the screen. Your device also adds delay. Use it as a fun marker, not a match for a race.
Sources
- FIA, 2026 F1 Regulations, Section B [Sporting], Issue 09, Article B5.7.2, fia.com: “The time interval between the illumination of each of the five red lights in the sequence described above shall be one (1) second.” The gap before lights out “is at the sole discretion of the permanent starter.” Accessed 7 November 2026 www.fia.com/regulation/category/110
- Formula1.com, “Rapid decisions, driver skills and intricate procedures – Why race starts are so critical in F1” (2 March 2024): “after a randomly-chosen and computer-controlled wait of between 0.2 and 3 seconds, they all go out at once” and “On average, they launch their cars just 0.2 seconds after the lights go out.” Accessed 7 November 2026 www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/rapid-decisions-driver-skills-and-intricate-procedures-why-race-starts-are.3uziERC5iPE5EYOPRmerXU