In motorsports, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race. In some racing series, like NASCAR, the fastest lap award championship points for a driver or team. In Formula One and MotoGP no point is awarded for the fastest lap.
Formula One
Main article: List of Formula One drivers who set a fastest lap
In Formula One, 140 different drivers have made fastest race laps. Michael Schumacher holds the record for the highest number of fastest laps with 77, followed by Lewis Hamilton with 67. Since 2007, the DHL Fastest Lap Award is given to the driver with the most fastest laps in a season.1
Between 1950-1959 and 2019-2024, an extra point is given to the driver who records the fastest lap during a race.2 Between 2019 and 2024, the point could only be awarded if the driver achieving the fastest lap finished the race in 10th position or better.3 The point has been discontinued for the 2025 season.4
Fastest laps are often set during the final laps of a race. Lap times often decrease as tracks get "rubbered in" and fuel weights go down as a race progresses.
Top ten drivers in Formula One history with the most fastest laps
| Bold | Driver has competed in the 2025 season |
| Driver | Fastest laps | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 77 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | 67 |
| 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | 46 |
| 4 | Alain Prost | 41 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | 38 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | 33 |
| 7 | Nigel Mansell | 30 |
| 8 | Jim Clark | 28 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | 26 |
| 10 | Mika Häkkinen | 25 |
| Source:5 | ||
Formula One performance hybrid racecar
In recent studies the LeMans endurance project has been reconfiguring Formula One racecars and making them faster by reconfiguring powertrain configurations. These powertrain reconfigurations have drastically been able to cut the time of the fastest lap achievable by Formula One racecars. This team also studied the capabilities of Formula One racecars and studied how to improve the performance of the cars. Ultimately they designed a powertrain configuration that cut the fastest lap time achievable by a standard Formula One racecar by over 20 seconds.6
Formula One aerodynamics studies
A researcher at Durham University studied the aerodynamic effects on Formula One racecars and how to make them more efficient and ultimately faster. A Formula One racecar's lap time advantage is the result of the cornering performance of the vehicle. If the tyres can have more grip there would be more friction and less slippage which would allow the car to go faster through corners, and subsequently decrease the time it takes to complete a lap. Also if the powertrain had more power and if the car experienced less drag then it could achieve a faster lap time.7
NASCAR
In NASCAR, drivers in all three premier series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck) will have a chance to earn the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award. The award is given to the driver with the fastest lap in a race.8
MotoGP
See also: List of 500cc/MotoGP riders who set a fastest lap
In MotoGP, which includes the 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP classes, Giacomo Agostini holds the record for the most fastest laps with 117, Valentino Rossi is second with 96 fastest laps and Ángel Nieto is third with 81.
Top ten riders in MotoGP with the most fastest laps
| Bold | Rider still competing in Grand Prix motorcycle racing as of the 2025 season |
| Rider | Fastest laps | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giacomo Agostini | 117 |
| 2 | Valentino Rossi | 96 |
| 3 | Marc Márquez | 83 |
| 4 | Ángel Nieto | 81 |
| 5 | Mike Hailwood | 79 |
| 6 | Dani Pedrosa | 64 |
| 7 | Mick Doohan | 46 |
| 8 | Max Biaggi | 42 |
| 9 | Jorge Lorenzo | 37 |
| 10 | Phil Read | 36 |
| Source:9 | ||
Autocross
Autocross is a competition normally conducted by a single vehicle and driver on an open paved surface where the driver races against the clock while trying to achieve the fastest lap possible. In autocross drivers can learn how to achieve a faster lap through studying data of their vehicles.10 This data can be collected by many various systems and analyzed to produce faster more aerodynamic vehicles.
See also
References
Payne, Joanne (14 March 2007). "DHL to sponsor Formula 1's fastest laps trophy". Campaign. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/dhl-sponsor-formula-1s-fastest-laps-trophy/642713 ↩
"Bonus point to be awarded for fastest lap in 2019 | Formula 1®". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Retrieved 2024-10-19. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/bonus-point-to-be-awarded-for-fastest-lap-in-2019.4gwBT6QW1NR1AlrlzAkKSP ↩
Fair, Asher (27 March 2022). "Formula 1: How does the point scoring system work?". Beyond the Flag. https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/03/27/formula-1-point-scoring-system-work/ ↩
"Fastest lap point to be scrapped in 2025". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Retrieved 2024-10-19. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/fastest-lap-point-to-be-scrapped-in-2025-after-latest-fia-world-motor-sport.4pUjDzWnGRN7KVWENLc1BY ↩
"Fastest laps - By number". StatsF1. Retrieved 11 July 2024. https://www.statsf1.com/en/statistiques/pilote/meilleurtour/nombre.aspx ↩
Jacob, J.; Colin, J.A.; Montemayor, H.; Sepac, D.; Trinh, H.D.; Voorderhake, S.F.; Zidkova, P.; Paulides, J.J.H.; Borisaljevic, A.; Lomonova, E.A. (5 January 2015). "InMotion hybrid racecar: F1 performance with LeMans endurance" (PDF). COMPEL. 34 (1): 210–233. doi:10.1108/COMPEL-11-2013-0344. https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/3959316/44481132954257.pdf ↩
Newbon, Joshua (2017). Aerodynamic Effects of the Salient Flow Features in Grand Prix Car Wakes (Thesis). http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12051/ ↩
Srigley, Joseph (February 4, 2025). "Comcast Renews NASCAR Partnership, 'Xfinity Fastest Lap' Program Added for 2025". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved February 4, 2025. https://tobychristie.com/nascar/cup-series/comcast-renews-nascar-partnership-xfinity-fastest-lap-program-added-for-2025/ ↩
"Statistics". MotoGP.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2019. Select Riders' race fastest laps, all seasons, all classes, all countries, all tracks. https://web.archive.org/web/20171225172049/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/Statistics/statsearch ↩
Strand, Stephen (2015). Motorsport performance analysis: A spatio-temporal approach (Thesis). ProQuest 1659817271. /wiki/ProQuest ↩