Burdened with the duty to safely lead the F1 field around the track in bad weather or due to an incident, safety cars are usually high-performance machines. For the 2022 season, Mercedes-Benz will again share Official F1 Safety Car duties along with Aston Martin, fielding the AMG GT Black Series.
Exterior Elements To Fulfill F1 Safety Car Duties
This will be the first time the AMG GT Black Series will serve as the Safety Car for Formula 1. Essentially, a street-legal race car, the AMG GT Black Series boasts several modifications to fulfill its duties. Getting rid of the light bar on the roof, AMG incorporated the obligatory signaling into the upper area of the windshield. Rearward-facing lights are now integrated into the rear spoiler. All signals employ LED lights.
The front section of the F1 Safety Car features three small orange light modules, as well as 13 orange lights on the main upper blade of the rear spoiler. A camera on the spoiler strut serves as an electronic rearview mirror, while another device transmits a live TV stream. All LED modules are dimmable to adapt the light intensity to the conditions.
Laden With Track Package And FIA-Specific Systems
The AMG GT Black Series F1 Safety Car has the same interior as a standard model, but with the optional Track Package. The lightweight bucket seats that accommodate driver Bernd Mayländer and co-driver Richard Darker are part of the package. The cabin also features six-point safety harnesses, two tablets, a panel for light signaling, a radio intercom and a second radio system for emergency back-up.
Moreover, the F1 Safety Car has FIA-specific systems identical to those in F1 race cars: a transponder system, a high-resolution GPS and telemetry, a “marshaling system” using three colored LEDs, and a “medical warning light”. The Safety Car will ride on a specific suspension setup and Pirelli P Zero tires, with AMG ceramic high-performance composite brakes providing the stopping power.
AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ As Official F1 Medical Car
Meanwhile, the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ will serve as the Official F1 Medical Car for the 2022 F1 season. It will be on standby for rapid emergency response. Loaded with a full set of emergency equipment, the Medical Car features an aerodynamically optimized carbon-fiber scoop on the roof that serves as the base for the signaling light bar.
Both featuring a distinctive red paintwork, the AMG GT Black Series and the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ will commence their F1 duties at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2022.
Source: Mercedes-Benz