From this year onwards, Formula 1 will only have one supplier of the Safety Cars. In recent years Mercedes in Aston Martin alternates the cars for the FIA security forces, but that is now about to change. Aston Martin seems to be calling it quits.
The Safety Car and the Medical Car are indispensable during race weekends. Without the use of these cars with the FIA personnel it is not possible to race, but they do need a fast car so as not to be a burden to the Formula 1 drivers. Mercedes was the sole supplier to the FIA and Formula 1 for many years, but that changed in 2021 when Aston Martin also started supplying Safety Cars.
Aston Martin’s Safety Car was a Vantage, but it was just a little too slow for the F1 field. Max Verstappen described the car as a ‘green turtle’, and Aston Martin quickly delivered a new, faster car. However, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is slightly faster, so the drivers do not suffer from a Safety Car that is too slow when it is used.
End of an era
According to The Race, drivers will no longer have to deal with Aston Martin’s Safety Car from next season. The medium reports that the British brand has stopped the collaboration, and that Mercedes will exclusively supply the Safety Car and the Medical Car.
Why has Aston Martin made this decision?
The reason for this decision is unclear. According to The Race, Aston Martin’s decision may have been taken for commercial reasons, but the brand has not yet said anything. This leaves Mercedes as the sole supplier, and that is not a unique situation. They have been supplying cars to the FIA’s medical staff since 1996, and they appear to be continuing to do so for some time to come. The car was gray for years, but has been covered in the red of sponsor CrowdStrike for a few years now.
