Ever try to grab a phone falling from above before it lands? Increase that anxiousness to eleven now. Formula 1 drivers deal with that; the stakes are roaring engines and worldwide glory. A rite of passage, the f1 reaction test is a brief jab at fate that might transform an ordinary start into a race-winning dash.

Imagine a racer in a concentrated trance, eyes fixed on a board covered with erratic lights. One looks blank out of nowhere. Bang: You have to tap, slap, or kick light before it dark. pure anarchy, pure excitement. Miss the light; there is no pity; your time passes directly into the rubbish. Too soon? jump The system assigns you a digital chastis. Charles Leclerc uses these drills to help him to ignore nerves. Bottas hinted that his response times got better despite dodging the Finnish winter for a year.

Little delays compound quickly—especially in motorsports. You’re down a few places by the first corner and sluggish off the line and—poof! Every blink is a make-or-break event when the lights go out, twenty drivers release the clutch.

Not worried; you can try it without a driving contract. Online versions abound by the handful. When the color shows up on your screen, tap it to find—you most likely are slower than you realized. Most normal people hover around 0.23 seconds. Drivers? In their sleep, they will edge under 0.16. Of course, there is always that one child that breaks the internet and makes the rest of us appear to be motionless.

Getting ready becomes almost artistic. There are some drivers who cover their motel walls with flashing stick-on lights. Others answer arithmetic problems by bouncing about or juggling balls. In the white-hot heat of a race, each tactic forces links between nerves and muscles to help drivers remain calm and strike quickly.

Teams broadcast from the rooftops not this. You could count quiet high-fives around the garage if a driver shaves even 0.01 off their average. Every moment turns into weapons for race day. Nobody wants to be seen thumb-twiddling at the starting lights.

Try yourself next time you have a minute. See if you can outpace your cousin, bet your roommate, or turn supper into a fast thumbs contest. Though you might not wind up on the podium, there is surely a buzz when you at last beat your personal best. Though quick reactions might not get you a championship, at least you won’t drop your phone once more.