Mercedes have revealed that their new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series will make its debut as one of Formula 1's two Safety Cars for the 2022 season, with driver Bernd Maylander confessing to having been "blown away" by the new machine during testing. The car will share Safety Car responsibilities with the Aston Martin Vantage throughout 2022 and is, Mercedes say, the most powerful variant of their new GT Black Series. Maylander has already been given the chance to test the new Safety Car, which will first be seen standing by in the pit lane during the season-opening 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix (20 March). And for the first time ever, the new Mercedes Safety Car will have its signalling system incorporated into the vehicle, as opposed to sitting above the car inside a lightbox. At the front, the lighting system - which alerts drivers as to the status of the Safety Car - will be integrated into the windscreen, while at the back, the lights are placed within the rear spoiler.
Maylander: New Safety Car is a major step forward
"I'm so happy that I will once again be at the wheel of the Formula 1 Safety Car for the 2022 season. And I'm especially pleased that this year it's a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series," said Maylander. "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. "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."
Mercedes also reveal new Medical Car
Mercedes have also confirmed that their Mercedes GT 63 S 4Matic+ will be the new official Medical Car for 2022, sharing the role with the Aston Martin DBX. Much like the GT Black Series, Mercedes say that their new Medical Car is the most powerful version of the GT 63 S 4Matic+ ever produced. The Medical Car follows the Formula 1 field for the first lap, ensuring doctors can be at the scene as fast as possible in the event of an accident. That proved crucial in 2020 when Romain Grosjean was helped from the flames and into the Medical Car following his horror accident in Bahrain.
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