Can a drone keep up with an F1 car? This one can

Red Bull Racing has taken innovation to new heights—literally—with the development of a drone capable of keeping pace with a Formula One car at speeds exceeding 185 mph.

This groundbreaking achievement, demonstrated at Silverstone's Grand Prix Circuit, saw the custom-built drone, piloted by renowned FPV expert Ralph Hogenbirk, famously known as Shaggy, successfully follow the Red Bull Racing RB20S for an entire lap, marking a historic milestone in both drone technology and F1 history.

The project, shrouded in secrecy for over a year, posed immense challenges. Shaggy and his team had to ensure the drone matched the F1 car's acceleration, deceleration, and endurance around turns while packing a powerful battery and sophisticated filming equipment.

Reflecting on the design process, Shaggy emphasised aerodynamics and efficiency as key considerations. Despite drawing inspiration from various drone designs, including those reaching speeds of 370kph, Shaggy's team embarked on a unique approach to achieve both speed and endurance.

The result? A rocket-shaped drone boasting top speeds of 350kph, 6G of max load, and a weight under 2.2 lbs (1kg). Not quite as compact and small as the best drones for non-professionals, but those are nowhere near as fast as Red Bull's take on the concept.

With the potential to revolutionise race coverage, Red Bull Racing and the Shaggy's team over at the Dutch Drone Gods envision a future where high-speed drones provide live-streaming footage of F1 events, offering viewers an unparalleled perspective of the action on the track.

As Max Verstappen, Formula One World Driver's Champion, remarks, this innovation could transform how fans experience the excitement of Formula One racing.

Sadly, the Red Bull drone isn't for sale, but budding pilots should definitely check out T3's best beginner drone guide, as well as our cheap DJI deals roundup for the best prices on the most popular models.