Here’s Our List Of The 10 Coolest Formula One Safety Cars

Ever since the 1993 Formula One season, the safety car has been an integral part of safety standards in a race. The safety car is deployed to essentially slow down the racers and ‘neutralize’ the race in the event of a serious accident, stranded cars on track or even the case of poor track conditions due to heavy rain. 

Since the role of a safety car is to slow down the cars, the FIA doesn’t use race cars. Instead normal road-going cars are utilised, albeit being pretty decent performance machines themselves. Sure, you will hear Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen often complaining that Bernd Maylander, the official safety car driver for virtually every single Grand Prix since 2000, barring a handful, isn’t driving fast enough. But rest assured he is driving as fast as his steed allows him to while also managing to keep the field safe through the carnage.  Over the years, we’ve seen a variety of brands take safety car duties. Here’s ten of our best picks:

10. Porsche 914 - 1973 Canadian Grand Prix 

While the sport didn’t officially introduce safety cars until 1993, its debut came in the form of the Porsche 914 at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix due to a variety of incidents under poor track conditions. Unfortunately, it was a controversial debut as the safety car driver slotted in front of the wrong driver, that led to a certain portion of the field being incorrectly a lap down. An unfortunate blot for a targa-top mid-engined sports car created under the collaboration of Volkswagen and Porsche.

9. Fiat Tempra 16V - 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix

After a few trials at the 1992 French and British Grand Prix, the safety car technically made its official debut in the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Fiat Tempra 16V. Yes, it's a small family car in comparison to the Porsche 914 sportscar. But it is technically the first safety car for F1, and didn’t have a controversial debut which puts it higher in this list. Also, it did fit the role description of the safety car, that was ‘neutralizing’ the race. 

8. Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG (1996-97)

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From 1996 onwards, Mercedes-Benz had been brought on as the official safety car supplier for Formula One as a part of promotional arrangements that continues to this day. And what better way to kick that off with the C36 AMG. It was the first performance-focused model for the first-gen C-Class as a rival to the BMW M3. A 3.6-litre inline-six engine delivered 280PS and 385Nm, which translated to a 0-100kmph sprint in 5.8 seconds, topping out at 250kmph. Overall, the perfect way to showcase the first AMG-tuned C-Class in the premier class of motorsports.

7. Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG (2004-05)

While the Mercedes safety cars from 1996 onwards seemed nothing more than regular sedans, 2004 saw the silver arrows make safety cars sexy with the SLK 55 AMG. It was sleek, and sporty in design with a long bonnet and compact rear end. In fact it looks pretty similar to the SLR McLaren, which certainly managed to turn heads at the time. 

6. Mercedes AMG GT S (2015-17) 

Heading into the more modern range of safety cars, the successor to the SLS AMG may not have been as popular, but it was chunkier, yet clean in design. It was powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, delivering 510PS and 650Nm. It’s pretty quick off the line with a 0-100kmph sprint in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 310kmph.

5. Mercedes SLS AMG (2010-14)

Out of all the silver arrows that have graced safety car duties, the SLS AMG definitely has a soft spot amongst the Formula One fandom, and us, especially with those cool gullwing doors. The coupe utilises a mammoth 6.2-litre V8 motor pushing 571PS and 650Nm. 0-100kmph can be achieved in 3.8 seconds, before topping out at an electronically limited top speed of 317 kmph.

4. Porsche 911 GT2 - 1995 Belgian Grand Prix

Porsche also had the 993 generation 911 GT2 handle safety car duties at the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix. One of the reasons this car is this high up the list is that it was actually built to meet the GT2 class homologation requirements. Essentially a race car built for the road, with nifty motorsports inspired bits like sporty fenders and a large rear wing with air scoops to aid engine cooling. 

It was also the pinnacle of air-cooled 911s and the last of its kind with a 3.6-litre twin-turbo flat-six engine generating 430PS and 586Nm. It only took 3.9 seconds to get to 100kmph, with a top speed of 301kmph.

3. Lamborghini Countach - Monaco Grand Prix (1981-83) 

We all know Monaco is a racetrack with a glamorous atmosphere. And for that, an equally glamorous car, in the form of the legendary Lamborghini Countach did safety car duties at Monaco in the early 80s. It certainly turned heads with its timeless design, red body shade, as well as the symphony of its 3.9-litre V12. 

2. Mercedes AMG GT R (2018-ongoing)

 

The current safety car for F1 that’s been in service since the 2018 season was certainly a step up from the AMG GT S, as it actually looked like a car for the racetrack. It had an aggressive body consisting of bold front and rear bumpers and an adjustable rear-wing. And who could forget the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mill capable of 585PS and 700Nm under the hood. What’s more, for 2021, Mercedes-Benz has given the GT R safety car a new red body shade, which is a nice change to the traditional silver arrows.

1.  Aston Martin Vantage (2021- ongoing)

 

The cream of the crop is none other than the Aston Martin Vantage. It is F1’s latest addition to the safety car lineup that will share duties with the AMG GT R, which is a first for F1. As a nice change of scenery, the Vantage brings over a sleek design with a pretty aggressive rear end that is complemented by the iconic British racing green body shade and lime green accents. The reason why it comes out on top is because It’s actually been souped up specifically for F1 use. Power from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine being bumped up to 535PS. It also had tweaks to the transmission, suspension, steering, dampers and has added 60kg more downforce than its standard counterpart. 

So what do you think would be your ideal pick of safety cars in Formula One? Let us know in the comments below!

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