Aston Martin make shock decision on F1 safety car deal

Aston Martin's contentious chapter as Formula 1's co-safety car supplier is to end, with the British manufacturer choosing not to renew its contract for the upcoming season.

Since 1996, Mercedes has held the prestigious role of providing F1's safety vehicles. From 2021, the German marque was forced to share duties with Aston Martin.

The two manufacturers alternated responsibility for Bernd Mayländer's safety car at each grand prix, marking the end of Mercedes' quarter-century monopoly.

Yet Aston Martin's tenure proved problematic from the outset. The Vantage F1 Edition, as the safety car was officially designated, suffered from a significant performance deficit compared to its Mercedes rival, being both heavier and considerably less powerful. The shortcomings were stark enough to draw pointed criticism from within the paddock.

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen was particularly scathing in his assessment, dubbing the machine the "green turtle" in reference to both its Aston Martin livery and sluggish performance.

Recognising the deficiencies, Aston Martin introduced a substantially revised Vantage for the 2024 season. The updated model featured significantly enhanced power output, bringing it much closer to parity with Mercedes' offering. 

The manufacturer went further still during last year's Dutch Grand Prix, unveiling a third iteration in the form of the Vantage S, equipped with a V8 engine delivering even greater performance.

Despite these considerable investments and improvements, Aston Martin has elected to withdraw from safety car duties entirely. The manufacturer is expected to release a statement outlining the reasoning behind this decision in due course.

Mercedes will resume sole responsibility for providing both safety and medical cars from the 2026 season onwards. This means the familiar sight of the AMG GT Black Series will continue, now sporting the distinctive red livery of Mercedes sponsor CrowdStrike rather than the traditional silver.

In the future, it is not out of the question that F1 will again look for an additional supplier.