F1 Reaction Test
Race the Formula 1 start lights. Five red lights come on one by one, hold for a random time, then go out. React as fast as you can and get your reaction time in milliseconds, with jump start detection and a rank.
Click or tap to start. Click or tap the gantry, or press Space. React when all five lights go out.
No starts yet. Your attempts will show here.
Jump starts and times under 100 ms are left out of your best and average. All-time best is saved only in this browser. Your time includes your screen's and mouse's own delay.
About the F1 start and your reaction time
How a real F1 start works
Once the grid is formed, five columns of red lights on the start gantry come on one at a time, one second apart. When all five are lit they hold for a random time chosen by the race control system, then all go out together. Lights out and away we go. Because the hold is random, drivers cannot time the start and must react. Sensors linked to each car's transponder detect a car that moves before the lights go out, and that jump start earns a penalty. This test copies the same sequence with a hold of 0.2 to 3 seconds.
How it is measured and what is typical
The timer starts on the screen frame where the lights actually went dark, and stops the moment your mouse button, finger or Space key goes down, using the browser's high-resolution clock. The average person reacts to a visual cue in about 250 ms. F1 drivers are generally quoted around 200 ms at a start, and they train for it. Anything under about 100 ms is too fast for the brain to process the light, so it counts as anticipation, a lucky guess rather than a reaction.
Why your score includes your monitor and mouse
No browser test measures your brain alone. A 60 Hz screen adds up to about 17 ms before the dark frame appears, slow TV modes and Bluetooth mice add more, and a mouse polling at 125 Hz can add up to 8 ms on top. The same person can score 20 to 40 ms faster on a 240 Hz monitor with a wired mouse. Check what your gear really does with the refresh rate test and the mouse polling rate test.
What affects reaction time, and tips
- Fatigue, caffeine and distraction all add tens of milliseconds. Rested and alert beats tired every time.
- Watch the gantry as a whole, not a single lamp, and stay relaxed with your finger resting on the button.
- Do not guess. The hold is random, so anticipating mostly gets you jump starts.
- Use your average over 5 to 10 starts as your real score. A single best is often partly luck.
Related tools
Test your raw speed with the click speed test, check your display with the refresh rate test, measure your mouse with the mouse polling rate test, or try something lighter with the lie detector test.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a jump start?
Any press while a start is running and the lights have not gone out yet. That includes the pause before the first red light and the random hold after all five columns are lit. The result says JUMP START and how many milliseconds you were early. It is not a reaction time, and it is left out of your best and your average.
When does the clock start?
The clock starts on the frame where the lights go dark, not when the first red light appears. It stops when the mouse button, a tap, or the Space key goes down. Five columns light one second apart, then stay lit for a random hold from 0.2 to 3 seconds, so the delay is not one time you can learn.
Should I click or press a key?
Either one. Click or tap the gantry, or press Space. Space works even when the gantry is not focused, except while you are typing in a text field. One press after lights out files one result. Holding the key down does not file more. Press again after a result or a jump start to run it again.
Why was a time under 100 ms not counted?
A press sooner than 100 ms after lights out is marked as anticipation, not a reaction. The number still shows, with a note that it was not counted. It is left out of your best and your average, the same way a jump start is.
What does the rank ladder mean?
A counted time is placed in a band from Pole position (100 to 179 ms) through Safety car (400 ms and slower). The band is a label for that run only. Jump starts and anticipation do not get a rank. The 200 ms mark on the comparison bar is the quoted driver figure already shown on this page, not a time from one named driver.
What does reset session clear?
Reset stops a run in progress and clears the list, the session best, and the session average. The all-time best stays in this browser. Only a counted time of 100 ms or more can replace it.