The Only Way Aston Martin Is Leading An F1 Race Right Now

While Aston Martin’s Formula 1 team continues to scrape and claw for midfield points, its newest rig, the Vantage S Safety Car, already led the pack three times during its chaotic debut race in the Netherlands.

Behind the wheel was veteran FIA Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer, who led the field following a pair of Ferrari crashes and a late-race retirement for McLaren’s Lando Norris. The upgraded Vantage S brings a bump in performance courtesy of a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 borrowed from Mercedes-AMG ad tuned to deliver 671 hp.

That’s a slight bump over the outgoing model, and it translates to a 0–62 mph sprint in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph.

Aston Martin didn’t just dial up the power. The Vantage S carries a reworked aerodynamic package with a front splitter and revised rear deck spoiler, tuned specifically to improve turn-in response and front-end grip.

According to Mayländer, the changes make a difference when responding to incidents on track: “The Vantage S allows me to respond quickly and safely whenever I’m called out. It’s the most performance-focused Vantage I’ve ever driven, and I’m excited to experience it on the world’s greatest circuits.”

Visually, the safety car apes Aston Martin’s F1 race cars with its Podium Green paint, but now features even more fluorescent detailing to maximize track visibility. Inside and out, the Vantage S is equipped with a roof-mounted light bar, FIA-approved safety gear, a full roll cage, and racing seats.

Aston Martin entered the FIA Safety Car rotation in 2021, joining Mercedes, which still fields its AMG GT Black Series as a counterpart. Both companies also provide medical cars—Aston Martin using its DBX707 SUV and Mercedes with the GT 63 S 4Matic+.

“This car was destined to take on the prestigious role as an F1 Safety Car and it will be a source of great pride for our colleagues and our customers to see it leading the pack whenever it is called upon,” said Alex Long, Aston Martin’s global marketing director.

Aston Martin will hope the arrival of Adrian Newey on staff can at least help one of their actual race cars lead the pack next year when the entire field switches to a brand new ruleset.

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