The new Aston Martin Vantage S will begin its stint as the new official Formula One safety car this weekend.
Whoever snatches pole position for Sunday’s Dutch GP in Zandvoort will be led to the start lights by a faster new Vantage with better grip. The new model unveiled two months ago has enhanced aerodynamics and other tweaks, turning it into a sharper driver’s tool.
Aston Martin first assumed the F1 safety car role during the 2021 season, taking over from Mercedes-AMG which had been the exclusive provider of Formula One’s official safety and medical cars since 1996.
Mercedes still supplies the 4.0l twin-turbocharged V8 engine that nestles in front of the Vantage S, producing 500kW and 800Nm. It’s capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds — 0.1 seconds quicker than the regular model, with a 325km/h top speed.
Formula One fans who are accustomed to the sight and roaring sounds of the British coupé will notice additional aerodynamic upgrades of a full width deck lid spoiler, which increases rear downforce and helps keep the overall balance of downforce biased to the front. It wears Podium Green paint and features Aramco decals, the main sponsor of Aston Martin’s F1 car driven by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
What the trackside spectators will not be able to see are the additional screens and a rear-view camera built on a bespoke centre console switch pack inside the cabin, incorporating switchgear for the FIA systems including the marshalling system, which displays lights corresponding to any warning flags being shown. Just as inside the F1 cars themselves, the safety car cameras inside and out provide live TV footage.
Bernd Mayländer continues in his role as the official FIA safety car driver.
“I’m delighted to be one of the very first to drive the Vantage S and look forward to experiencing the world’s greatest circuits in the most performance focused Vantage to date,” says the German national, who has driven in front of more than 500 F1 grids in a career spanning more two decades.
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