So we all know that Max Verstappen won the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, but what might have escaped your attention was the fact he also set a new world record along the way.
You see, his pit stop on lap 21 was registered at an eye-watering time of 1.82 seconds! That’s right… his Red Bull mechanics managed to remove and replace his tyres quicker than it would probably take you or I to even pick up a tyre. Red Bull also held the previous record at 1.88 seconds, so who knows how speedy a pit stop they could complete in the future.
The F1 outfit are part of an esteemed list of entrants into the record books, but the Guinness World Records have also become known for some rather less conventional feats since their introduction way back in the 1950s.
The brewers’ annual book of stats, facts and feats is researched and produced in absolutely pain-staking detail, and is now a recognised staple of Christmas stockings everywhere.
The Sportsman has tracked down some of the best and most brain-numbing records from the world of sport:
The Fastest Man on Two Hands
Ever tried a handstand? Good for you.
Ever tried walking 50 metres on your hands with a football between your legs? Thought not.
Zhang Shuang accomplished a remarkable feat, without his feet. The man from China can run faster on his palms than it probably takes you to get out of bed. Shuang managed to ‘sprint’ 50 metres in an incredible time of 26.09 seconds whilst nestling a ball between his legs. Imagine him delivering the post.
The Longest Basketball 3 Pointer
The Dude Perfect boys had set the standard a year prior with a stonking 533ft shot from the top of Cotter Ranch Tower in the midwest. However, it got taken to a whole other level (well approximately nine storeys) with a mammoth three-pointer (could it be worth more?) by the team at How Ridiculous.
The scenery was more picturesque than downtown Oklahoma, with the achievement taking place in beautiful Lesotho. It was the culmination of six days, eight hours at a time, in the African nation, but what a stunning moment when the basketball slides perfectly in.
Most Items Kicked Off People’s Heads
The great master Bruce Lee once said that “Martial arts means honestly expressing yourself”.
For Silvana Shamuon, who has been training since she was four years old, that obviously translates to kicking a load of American footballs off stagnant people’s heads. The pigskins were delicately poised atop helmets in a straight line, with Shamuon wasting no time in high-kicking 59 of them off consecutively. So yep, that’s one way of going down in infamy.
Heaviest Aircraft Pulled By A Man
Canadian Kevin Fast managed to pull a ginormous CC-177 Globemaster III (aka a really, really, really big aeroplane) a distance of 8.8 metres. The aircraft weighed a phenomenal 188.83 tonnes! It might not seem like a natural fit, but part-time Santa Claus doppelganger - though not in the video available to view below - Fast has also been a church pastor for well over two decades. His strongman showing raised $65,000 for a charity. Forgive us father, because we are blown away.
World's Oldest Sky-Diver
Set this year and brilliantly just beating the previous record by a couple of months, centenarian Kathyrn ‘Kitty’ Hodges needs to be in the Point Break sequel. Following the lead of her skydiving-enthusiast son Warren, Kitty tandem-jumped out of a plane at the age of 103 years and 129 days for the thrill of a literal lifetime.
Kitty couldn’t even board the aircraft but was assisted by an enthusiastic bunch of volunteers who helped set her up. What an absolute hero.
