New Aston Martin Vantage F1 Safety Car Unveiled Ahead of Saudi GP Debut

Unveiled ahead of its ‘racing’ debut at the upcoming 2024 Saudi GP is the new 2024 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Safety Car.

Despite its sporty and gorgeous appearance, the old Aston Martin Vantage Formula One (F1) Safety Car was deemed to be ‘too slow’, at least according to reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen. In a bid to address this lack of pace issue, Aston Martin has employed the newly-launched 2024 Vantage model as the new official safety car for the 2024 F1 season, with the new car set to make its ‘racing’ debut at the upcoming 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Compared to the previous-gen Vantage F1 Safety Car, the new Vantage gets a much-needed power boost of 153 HP, resulting in a total system output of 656 HP, derived by the now-improved 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mill sourced by AMG.

Still not as powerful as the 730 HP-rated Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series safety car used last year, this power boost translates to a faster 0-60 MPH (0-96 KM/H) sprint time of 3.4 seconds, plus an improved V-Max of 325 KM/H.

Although not as extreme as the GT3 racecar, the Vantage F1 Safety Car did get some serious aero parts.

In terms of design, the new Vantage F1 Safety Car gains a slew of aerodynamic parts and additional equipment over its street-legal twin in a bid to match its power boost. Key additions include a prominent front splitter, a modified underfloor, a sleeker roof-mounted light bar, and the massive GT-style rear wing—all present to provide the new Vantage with better aerodynamics and handling performance.

On board, the new Vantage F1 Safety Car gains a slew of safety-related features, plus some sportier equipment. For starters, the standard sporty front seats are being replaced by a pair of Recaro Pole Position bucket seats with a six-point racing harness. Meanwhile, the central console is now stacked with multiple buttons and switches that control its two large displays, all hooked up to the mandatory FIA-regulated control systems.

Besides the racing-related analytics and data, the two displays also showcase the position of all F1 cars on track, while doubling as the rear-view monitor for the car. Elsewhere, the cabin is also laced with Lime Essence trim—a nod to Aston Martin's striking livery in Racing Green.

Since the 2021 F1 season, the FIA has employed both the Vantage and DBX707 as part of their official safety and medical car fleet.

Prior to the Vantage’s introduction in 2021, the FIA has always used a Merc model for its official F1 safety car, with the latest one employed being the manic Mercedes-AMG GT Black Edition. Besides the Vantage, the DBX707 super-SUV has also been employed as the sport’s official medical car, alongside the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Coupe.

Alongside the DBX707 Medical Car, the all-new 2024 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Safety Car is set to make its inaugural debut at the upcoming 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, taking place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit from March 7 to 10. This street circuit by the scenic Red Sea will serve as the second stop for the record 24-leg 2024 Formula One World Championship, following the season-opener at Bahrain GP last week.