Mercedes reveals updated safety and medical cars for 2022
Mercedes have revealed their new emergency vehicles, Safety Car and the Medical Car that will be at the front of the grid for the upcoming 2022 season.
The history of the safety cars dates back to the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, where a yellow Porsche 914 was called for duty following various incidents under treacherous weather conditions.
The sport officially introduced safety cars in 1993, after trials were conducted at both the French and British Grands Prix during the preceding 1992 season. Since 1996, as part of promotional arrangements, the main supplier of safety cars has been Mercedes-Benz, with Aston Martin sharing the duties with them from 2021.
Since 2019, the German carmaker has supplied the Mercedes-AMG GT R as the Safety Car that will now be replaced by the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Mercedes will continue to share the Safety Car duties with Aston Martin in 2022.
Commenting on the contract extension with Formula One, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, Philipp Schiemer said: “Recent years have seen Mercedes-AMG celebrate a huge number of amazing successes in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Eight constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles in the last eight years speak emphatically for themselves."
“Added to that is the extensive and widespread transfer of technology and image from this greatest of all motorsport stages and our series-production vehicles.
“Motorsport means so much to us, as does the best possible level of safety. There was absolutely no question that, after more than 25 years, we would extend our commitment as the provider of the safety car and medical car – with two absolutely outstanding vehicles from our line-up.”
Bernd Maylander, who has been driving the FIA Formula 1 Official Safety Car since 2000, said: “I’ve already had the chance to test this amazing vehicle many times and I’m simply blown away by how close it is to a thoroughbred race car. I’m so happy that I will once again be at the wheel of the Formula 1 safety car for the 2022 season,” he said.
“It really is a major step compared to last year’s GT R – which was already at an extremely high level. To have a workplace like this in the name of safety is a dream come true," the German concluded.
