It had been known for some time, but on Friday Mercedes officially confirmed that from 2026 it will once again be solely responsible for supplying the Safety Car and the Medical Car in Formula 1. The marque will provide the cars at every race weekend and during the official pre-season tests in Bahrain. Since 2021 the Silberpfeile shared that responsibility with Aston Martin, but that collaboration will end after 2025.
Since 2022 the Mercedes‑AMG GT Black Series has served as the official FIA F1 Safety Car, while the Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ performs the role of Medical Car. Both models operate not only in Formula 1 but also in Formula 2, Formula 3 and various support categories. The cars are maintained by Mercedes between races, with technical support coming from Affalterbach.
2026 will also be an anniversary year for Mercedes and the Safety Car. The partnership with Formula 1 will reach thirty years, after the Safety Car was first deployed on 30 June 1996 during the French Grand Prix. Last season in Austin another milestone was reached, with Mercedes’ 500th race as the official supplier. Over the years thirteen different models have been used as Safety Car and eight as Medical Car. In March there will be another notable moment when regular Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer completes his 500th race in Melbourne.
Aston Martin zwaait af
“Safety is an absolute core value of our brand and our products,” said Christoph Sagemüller, head of Mercedes‑AMG Motorsport. “That is why we have supplied the Safety Car and Medical Car in Formula 1 since 1996. From 2026 these cars will once again wear our star at all F1 events. In this way we will continue to play an active role in safety in the pinnacle of motorsport. For Mercedes, Formula 1 is not only a sporting platform, but also an environment in which the performance, reliability and safety of our cars are exposed under extreme conditions.”
Aston Martin, which had been partly responsible for the Safety Car since 2021, is withdrawing from that role. The British marque’s first deployment sparked debate at the time, because the Vantage the team selected was heavier and less powerful than Mercedes’ AMG GT Black Series. There is no clarity on the exact reason for the split. In a statement Aston Martin said the agreement had simply “ended at the close of the 2025 season.” The team added it was grateful for the collaboration.
