Aston Martin announced today that it will once again supply the Medical and Safety Cars for 12 Grands Prix for the 2022 Formula 1 season, starting with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne from April 8-10.
Like last season, Aston Martin will field a Vantage as the Safety Car. It has been updated this year, though, to mirror the new Aston Martin Racing Green that can be found on the Aston Martin racing team’s AMR22.
The car, as ever, will be driven by the FIA’s appointed driver, Bernd Maylander. He will be lucky, because the car has been expressly designed for this purpose by the engineering team at Aston Martin’s headquarters in Graydon, UK.
Using its experience from GT competition around the world, including at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Vantage Safety Car has been adapted to perform on the Formula 1 circuits of the world. In addition to its performance upgrades, it also receives bodyside mounted radio antennas, an LED rear number plate, and a bespoke, roof-mounted LED light bar.
Inside, the driver and passenger have access to the FIA’s marshaling system, which shows lights corresponding to any warning flags being shown at any part of the track. It also gets cameras inside, just like the F1 cars to display a live camera feed for the viewing audience.
The DBX, meanwhile, reenters duty as the Medical Car, getting its own unique modifications. These include FIA-approved racing seats with six-point safety harnesses, a marshaling system, and TV screens to give the doctor a live feed of the race as he sits in the pit lane. It must carry fire extinguishers, a defibrillator, and a large medical kit back, as well.
Aston Martin says that its reasons for supplying the FIA with this Medical Car aren’t entirely altruistic. The data gathered from the SUV’s time on track last year directly helped the development of the high-performance DBX 707.
“It is a continuing source of pride for myself and the whole company to see our cars playing a crucial role in Formula 1,” said Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda. “Vantage and DBX will feature at 12 Grands Prix this year and, as much as I hope they won’t be called upon too often in the races, I think we all know they will be busy again as F1 enters this new era. We’re excited to be part of the show!”
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Keyword: Aston Martin Will Supply F1 Safety And Medical Cars For 12 Grands Prix In 2022