Former F1 World Champion Jenson Button seems not to have lost his lightning-fast reflexes – as he has been awarded a Guinness World Record for highest number of strikes on a Batak board.
The retired racing driver is no stranger to the Batak board, which is used by all Formula 1 drivers to improve their reaction speed, stamina, and hand co-ordination.
The light reaction machine sees targets illuminate randomly across the board, and participants must hit each light within an allotted time – to test their ability to respond quickly, and make sure their peripheral vision is up to scratch.
And Button, 43, was handed his new World Record by an official Guinness World Record adjudicator after striking the machine 58 times in just 30 seconds – beating the previous record of 56, set in October 2019 by Iranian Arshia Shahriarhi.
Button has previously beaten former teammate, and seven times F1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, at a 60-second Batak challenge.
He was set the challenge by TV and internet streaming service, NOW, ahead of the Formula 1 season kicking off on March 3rd in Bahrain.
Jenson Button said: “Always nice to add a new trophy to the collection – and an official Guinness World Record at that.
“I set my unofficial record in my twenties, so it’s great to see that I’ve still got it, twenty years later.
“We’re looking at one of the most exciting seasons yet with Max, Lewis, and the guys at Ferrari – it's definitely looking a three-way race for the Championship this year, and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”
F1 drivers go through vigorous training to become race ready, and experience up to six times the force of gravity as they brake, turn, and accelerate in their cutting-edge cars – and are believed to have reaction times three times faster than the average person.
Furthermore, an F1 drivers’ heart rate can increase to around 160 to 200 beats per minute, in contrast to an average person’s resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute – making it crucial to train aerobically.
While driving in F1, Jenson’s training consisted of cycling, running, boxing, and swimming, for 16 to 20 hours a week, for 17 years.
And making competitions out of this with other people to see who could run, swim, or cycle the furthest really helped spur him on.
Other examples of his gruelling training routine included an eight-hour bike ride up a volcano, skiing up mountains, and swimming with sharks.
Jamie Schwartz, from NOW, added: “We’re glad that we could work with an F1 legend like Jenson and get him into the record books. Setting a new World Record is definitely a great way to kick off the 2023 F1 season, which is looking to be one of the best ever.”
Joanne Brent, an adjudicator from Guinness World Records, said: “I've seen countless record attempts, but Jenson Button's achievement in extinguishing 58 Batak lights in 30 seconds was very impressive.
“Breaking this record requires not only lightning-fast reaction times, but also the ability to maintain focus and rely on peripheral vision, as Jenson demonstrated during the attempt for the record.
“It's a testament to his skill as a race driver, and a reminder that breaking records isn't just about physical ability, but also mental discipline and strategy.”
F1 fans can challenge Jenson’s new world record on the official NOW Batak machine on F1 opening weekend, with details to be announced via NOW social media channels.
The entire F1 season can be streamed live on NOW from 3rd March as the lights go out first in Bahrain. For more information, visit here.
