After reigning world champion Max Verstappen repeatedly complained about the Aston Martin Vantage safety car’s slowness, the British automotive giants decided to change things. The British manufacturer is set to unveil its new safety car, worth $170,000, at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The new Vantage safety car has an increased input of 193hp, taking its total power to 656hp. Apart from this, there are also some visible changes in the front splitter that make it more prominent now than before. The rear wing features a chunkier finish, and modifications have been made to the underfloor for better airflow.
Interestingly, the FIA light bar has also received a change in shape for better aerodynamics, as it has been moved back a little. However, Aston Martin seems content with everything else as no upgrades have been made to the engine or its components. The new car would debut along with the Aston Martin DBX707 F1 Medical Car.
Internal changes made to the Aston Martin Safety Car
Similar to the changes in power output, Aston Martin also made some internal changes in the cabin. They replaced the standard seats with Recaro Pole Position bucket seats, which have a racing harness for Safety Car driver Bernd Maylander and his passenger.
The British manufacturer has also installed multiple screens and buttons in the new Vantage Safety Car. They tweaked the center console to put in numerous buttons for the switchgear mandated by the FIA regulations.
In addition, screens were placed inside to show the cars’ positions on the track. Maylander would receive all information on cars and their live lap times from the cabin.
Maylander already had the chance to drive the new Vantage, after which he said in a report published by TopGear, “It is a pleasure to drive the Aston Martin Vantage. The car comes from an incredible bloodline; this newest version is the fastest yet. My first impressions were very positive as I could immediately feel the improvement in handling and, of course, power.”
“We need a fast and focused car so we can respond quickly and safely when we receive the call for on-track deployment, and Vantage provides that. I have enjoyed driving Vantage during the past three seasons, and I’m happy to now be one of the first to drive the new Vantage and experience its full performance pedigree on the world’s greatest circuits,” the veteran Safety Car driver added.
Aston Martin has been making their Vantage models for 74 years now. However, the current generation of two-seater Gran Turismo cars has been on sale for six years only. Since 2018, Vantage has been on the market and received significant upgrades every year. However, the upcoming upgrade has been instrumental.
When it comes to the Safety Car variant, the upgrade is even more. As for the road-going Vantage. Apart from being a road-legal car and the FIA Safety Car, the Vantage also takes part in multiple racing categories. For instance, the Aston Martin Vantage GTE or Aston Martin Vantage AMR is used in the GTE class of racing.
The Aston Martin Vantage DTM is another “class 1” touring car constructed for the Deutsche Tourwagen Masters in Germany. Apart from these, the British company specifically crafts its Vantage for the GT3, GT4, and GT8R racing categories.
Mercedes partners with Aston Martin on Safety Car project
Along with Aston Martin, Mercedes also shares the duty of delivering Safety Cars to Formula 1 tracks. Mercedes provides their stunning AMG GT Black Series that comes with 720hp, compared to the new Vantage’s 656 hp.
The car houses a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 3982cc and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 202 miles.
Compared to the GT Black Series the German automaker, the Vantage Safety Car comes with a 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine. It goes from 0-60 miles in 3.4 seconds, two-tenths slower than its Mercedes counterpart.
