The New 656-Horsepower Aston Martin Vantage F1 Safety Car Should Alleviate Pace Complaints

While the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and Aston Martin Vantage have been splitting safety car duties in Formula 1, defending world champion Max Verstappen had some choice words about the Aston’s pace. Speaking about the difference between the two safety cars in 2022, Verstappen told motorsport.com, “For sure the Mercedes safety car is faster because of the extra aero, because this Aston Martin is really slow.” Ouch.

Thankfully, there’s a new 656-horsepower Vantage rolling out of Aston’s factory, and that power boost combined with added aero should better position Aston Martin’s entry-level coupe for safety car duties.

With a chunky splitter and a wing that looks straight out of Need For Speed: Carbon, the new Vantage safety car looks the business. Combined with massaged underbody paneling and a gurney flap, the aero package on this revised safety car should translate to faster laps. Even the slimline light bar has been aerodynamically optimized in the pursuit of keeping F1 cars’ tires warm while under yellow flags, something the outgoing Vantage safety car allegedly wasn’t the best at.

On the inside, proper Recaro Pole Position bucket seats with Schroth harnesses hold occupants in place, while two important monitors seemingly drilled into the dashboard keep tabs on pertinent information. One of them relays where every car is on the track, while the other might just be the largest digital rear-view mirror display in the world. Hey, you’re not meant to turn your neck much while wearing a HANS device, so this is an example of making do.

As for the powertrain, cooling package, and brakes, that’s all unchanged from the standard Vantage street car. Hey, when you’re working with a 656-horsepower four-liter turbocharged V8 and massive carbon ceramics, substantial changes might not be necessary. As for early signs of it all working in practice, Formula One safety car driver Bernd Mayländer seems happy with the updated Vantage safety car.

It is a pleasure to drive the Aston Martin Vantage. The car comes from an incredible bloodline and this newest version is the fastest yet. My first impressions were very positive as I could immediately feel the improvement in handling and, of course, power. We need a car that is fast and focused so we can respond quickly and safely when we receive the call for on-track deployment and Vantage provides that. I have enjoyed driving Vantage during the past three seasons and I’m happy to now be one of the first to drive the new Vantage and experience its full performance pedigree on the world’s greatest circuits.

While the updated Aston Martin Vantage safety car likely won’t blow the astonishing 911 GT3 RS-fighting Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series safety car into the weeds, it should at least narrow the gap. Expect to see it on track with varying frequency, depending on how much carbon fiber gets strewn across the world’s FIA Grade 1 circuits this year.

(Photo credits: Aston Martin)

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