TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FORMULA 1 MEDICAL AND SAFETY CARS SEEN ON TRACK AT MONACO FROM MERCEDES-AMG
We’re not 100% sure how one secures the opportunity to have their car used as the safety and/or medical car in Formula 1, but we are sure the cars chosen for the 2022 season would be hard to beat. With the last Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco, the weather and a few incidents on track caused the safety car to come out for an extended period allowing viewers to catch a better view of the CrowdStrike Red Mercedes-AMG cars and piquing interest as a result. The cars tasked with the jobs of safety and medical come in the form of a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and a GT 63 S 4MATIC+, some of the finest metal and the most powerful variants of these cars available from the Affalterbach boys. “Recent years have seen Mercedes-AMG celebrate a huge number of amazing successes in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Eight constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles in the last eight years speak emphatically for themselves. Added to that is the extensive and widespread transfer of technology and image from this greatest of all motorsport stages and our series-production vehicles. Motorsport means so much to us, as does the best possible level of safety. There was absolutely no question that, after more than 25 years, we would extend our commitment as the provider of the safety car and medical car – with two absolutely outstanding vehicles from our line-up”, explains Philipp Schiemer, CEO of Mercedes-AMG.
“Since 1996 – that’s every single year for more than a quarter of a century – Mercedes-AMG has been supplying the vehicles Formula 1 needs in emergencies. In their role as Official F1 Safety Car, our performance vehicles have been safely leading the Formula 1 field around the track when called upon in bad weather or in the event of an incident. When needed, our Official F1 Medical Car is on the spot as quickly as possible. To ensure this, we have upped the ante even further for the 2022 season with our most powerful models to-date, the AMG GT Black Series and the AMG GT 63 S. What’s more, their on-track performance displays their unfiltered motorsport DNA more than any of their predecessors. As always, of course, I nevertheless hope that these vehicles are called upon for support as little as possible”, says Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-AMG.
“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. 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.” comments Bernd Mayländer, the official Formula 1 Official Safety Car Driver for 22 years
The safety car is the AMG GT Black Series that features signalling incorporated into the upper area of the windscreen, while round back the lights have been elegantly integrated into the rear spoiler and there are two tiny video cameras are installed into the spoiler strut on the right-hand side and it relays visuals inside the car, camera is an electronic rear-view mirror for the co-driver and the the other transmits a live TV stream. The interior is OEM AMG GT Black Series including the optional Track Package with rollover protection. New features include the 6-point safety harnesses and two tablets. The AMG GT series produces 537 kW (730 hp) and uses a 7-speed DCT transmission and can launch from 0-100 km/h in as little as 3.2-seconds and has a top speed of 325 km/h.
On standby for rapid emergency response is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ medical car that can carry a crew of three each with their own bucket seats and harnesses. The boot is fully stocked for emergencies, there’s a defibrillator, breathing apparatus, rescue cutter and fire extinguishers. The hatch lid features extra lighting to warn approaching drivers of an incident. This one features a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with 470 kW (639 hp) on tap and can also kick it from to 100 km/h in 3.2-seconds and has the same top speed as its track twin. Both feature distinctive red paintwork is for CrowdStrike, which is the official sponsor of the cars.
Take a look at this YouTube walkaround video from Mercedes-AMG that details the cars used for safety and medical issues on track. After seeing the cars put in a few hot laps in the wet at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, an info session was needed: The New Mercedes-AMG Official Formula 1 Medical Car | Walkaround | Mercedes-AMG
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