F1 | The new Safety Cars presented [PHOTO]

Formula 1 has formalized the new multi-year collaboration with Mercedes and Aston Martin for the supply of Safety and Medical Cars starting from the 2021 season. Both car manufacturers will alternate at each race. The British company will provide a specially equipped version of the Vantage for the SC, while the medical car will be the DBX. Both will have a “2021 Aston Martin Racing Green” livery with its lime details to celebrate the return to Formula 1 after more than 60 years of the historic English brand.

Mercedes has officially provided Safety and Medical Cars since 1996, and will continue this parallel path in Formula 1 using the AMG GTR for the safety car, while the medical car will be the AMG C63 S Estate, but with a decidedly new look for this season. In fact, the two cars will be red, mostly to highlight the main sponsor CrowdStrike. Aston Martins will make their debut in Sakhir for the opening race of the 2021 season, while Mercedes will take to the track in Imola for the second round of the world championship. For the remainder of the 2021 championship, the two manufacturers will share the Grands Prix. Bernd Maylander will remain at the wheel of the Safety Car in every race, just as Alan Van der Merwe will continue in his role as Medical Car driver.

“We are very happy with this announcement – said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1. Aston Martin and Mercedes are iconic automotive brands and we are proud to have them in our sport. Safety and Medical Car are always there to keep our drivers safe, we had full demonstration of this last year in the heroic rescue of Romain Grosjean after his dramatic accident in Bahrain, and the Aston Martin and Mercedes cars are perfectly at cutting edge to ensure everyone's safety."

“We welcome Aston Martin as the official Safety and Medical Car supplier for Formula 1 – said Michael Masi, race director. He will share these roles with Mercedes, our partner since 1996. SC and MC are an essential part in the management of a Formula 1 event, from track tests and Thursday inspections to interventions in the race, they are a vital tool for me as race director and for my team to use in times of need to keep riders safe and get back to racing as best as possible after an accident. These cars have to be fast in all conditions, they have all the necessary technologies on board, and specifically, Aston Martin has done an exceptional job with the DBX. I think fans will like these new features: AM is an iconic brand, it brings with it enormous experience in the world of racing, and together with the Mercedes GTR it will keep the Formula 1 cars at a good speed even when they are forced to slow down."