F1's Jenson Button sets world record for fastest reflexes

Former F1 champion Jenson Button has tested his racing driver's reflexes by breaking a Guinness World Record, a feat that he said felt like “adding a new trophy to the collection”.

Button, who was at the pinnacle of racing for nearly two decades, was challenged by streaming service NOW to break the record, which involves striking target lights that light up randomly on a Batak board.

The reflex record had been held for four years by Arshia Shahriari from Iran, who racked up 56 strikes in 30 seconds. Button hit 58.

“I set my unofficial record in my 20s so it’s great to see that I’ve still got it, 20 years later.”

The former McLaren driver said he had beaten seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on the Batak board, but Button suggested it was due to his longer reach.

Joanne Brent, Guinness World Records official adjudicator, 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.

Button beat the record of Arshia Shahriari from Iran, who racked up 56 strikes in 30 seconds.

“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.”

Button's last F1 race was in 2017. He won the F1 world championship in 2009 and claimed 50 podiums during his career.

With the 2023 season set to begin in Bahrain on March 3, the Briton is predicting a three-way race for the title.

“We’re looking at one of the most exciting seasons yet with Max [Verstappen], Lewis and the guys at Ferrari”, he said.

“It’s definitely looking like a three-way race for the championship this year and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

F1's Jenson Button sets world record for fastest reflexes

Racing driver beats former holder, Iranian Arshia Shahriari

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers