Aston Martin will again provide the safety car for part of the races in the coming Formula 1 season. The Vantage occupies that role for 12 race weekends and the DBX is also back as the ‘medical car’.
For years, Mercedes-Benz (and later Mercedes-AMG) supplied exclusively the safety car and medical car to Formula 1. Last year Aston Martin joined the team with the Vantage and DBX. Aston Martin now announces that these cars will be back next season. No fewer than 12 of the 23 race weekends will have to sideline the Mercedes-AMG GT R and C 63 S Estate, in favor of the Aston Martins.
The Vantage and DBX will be there for the first time in Australia, the weekend of April 8. The Vantage used is a 25 hp stronger version than the regular Vantage. The 4.0 biturbo V8, the same block as in the Mercedes-AMG GT, produces 535 hp and 585 Nm. An equally powerful Vantage F1 Edition, a street-legal safety car-inspired version of the Vantage, was also unveiled in March last year. The DBX, which has to get the medical personnel to the scene as quickly as possible if something goes wrong on the track, is slightly stronger than the Vantage as standard. In it, the same V8 unleashes no less than 550 hp on the wheels.
Over the years there have of course been many different safety cars in Formula 1. Although they were Mercedes for years until last year, many other brands have also passed by in the past. Two years ago we already listed a number of striking safety cars.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl