New Design for Mercedes-AMG Safety and Medical Cars
The Mercedes-AMG Safety and Medical Cars are entering the 2021 F1 season with new paintwork: the rich red not only corresponds to the Mercedes-AMG signature colour, much more it represents the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team partner CrowdStrike.
The market leader in cybersecurity will become the Official Mercedes Safety Car Partner from this season. As in previous years, the basis for the Safety Car is the 430 kW (585 hp) Mercedes-AMG GT R (fuel consumption combined 12.4 l/100 km, CO2 emissions combined 284 g/km).
The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate (fuel consumption combined 10.0 l/100 km, CO2 emissions combined 229 g/km) is used as the Medical Car.
CrowdStrike has been a partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team since 2019. From this season, the partnership with the market leader for cloud-based end device protection has been extended to include the commitment to the Mercedes Safety Car.
"In recent years the FIA has done a huge amount for safety in Formula One,“ says Philipp Schiemer, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. „Nonetheless, accidents cannot be completely avoided, and this is when we see how important the work of the stewards and the dependability of the Safety Car and Medical Car are.
„One hundred percent reliability and speed are the decisive factors. With our AMG GT R and our C 63 S Estate, we have two tailor-made, racetrack-tested cars in our portfolio that have proved their worth as the FIA Safety Car and FIA Medical Car. The new look also suits them extremely well.“
Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, adds: "Vehicles from Mercedes-AMG have been leading the Formula One field safely around the track as Official Safety Cars since 1996, whenever poor weather conditions or incidents call for their use.
„It was therefore a matter of course for us to extend the contract again. Maximum safety is one of our highest priorities - both in motorsport and for our road vehicles. But we of course hope that both cars will need to be used as little as possible this season.“
AMG Brand Ambassador and Instructor at the AMG Driving Academy Bernd Mayländer has been the FIA appointed driver of the Official F1 Safety Car since 2000: „In all the years my Safety Cars have never let me down.
„This exemplary reliability is also a fundamental safety factor. The high racetrack performance thrills me over and again. I am delighted that I am continuing to drive the FIA Safety Car and in this season it will be even more interesting, not just because of the new colour.“
In 2021 Bernd Mayländer will lead the F1 field around the racing circuits in various vehicles alternately: for the first time since 1996, Mercedes-AMG is sharing the challenging safety tasks of the FIA Safety Car and FIA Medical Car with another vehicle manufacturer - the British sports car brand Aston Martin, with which there is an extensive cooperation involving technology, including in the form of the eight-cylinder biturbo engines from Affalterbach.
The first assignment is being taken on by Aston Martin at the season's opener on 28 March at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix. Mercedes-AMG will start with its safety vehicles on 18 April at the second round in Imola.
Alongside the Safety Car, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate is on hand to provide emergency care as an Official Medical Car, driven by the South African Alan van der Merwe.
The FIA Medical Car follows the F1 field on the starting lap, as the racing cars are grouped particularly closely together in this critical phase of the race. In the event of an incident, the medics are thus able to reach the scene of the accident as quickly as possible and administer first aid immediately.