The newly launched Aston Martin Vantage is ready to fulfil Official FIA Formula One Safety Car duties, marking a fourth season in succession for the brand.
Aston Martin's most driver-focused Vantage ever is perfectly poised to lead the pinnacle of motorsport around the Grand Prix circuits of the world as the Official FIA Safety Car of Formula One.
A refined variation of the new Vantage has the necessary performance at its disposal to head a field of 20 F1 cars on the formation lap, and it will do just that at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Once that task is completed, it will wait patiently at the pit lane exit, primed for intervention. In the event of a race-disrupting incident, it will resume its place at the front of the pack and control the pace.
Just three weeks prior to its F1 paddock return, the new Vantage was revealed as part of the ultimate race to road performance trilogy alongside the Vantage GT3 race car and the AMR24 F1 challenger. As a manifestation of the most dynamic period in Aston Martin's 111-year history, the Vantage is a celebration of refined driving experience and ultimate performance.
Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of Aston Martin, said:
“Vantage is the very essence of the Aston Martin brand, so to see the fastest, most driver-focused Vantage yet play such an important role in the prestigious FIA Formula One World Championship is a source of great pride for us. For brand awareness, there is no global, high-octane sporting series that can match F1.
"Building on the natural synergies between the sport and Aston Martin, racing fans will not only see the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team AMR24s on track but also two of our most exciting performance models, Vantage and the award-winning DBX707."
Lying at the heart of the new Vantage is a hand-built 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine. Such a potent powerplant delivers a 30 per cent increase over its predecessor, bestowing this latest iteration with the enviable title of 'fastest of the breed'. Such raw power is a necessity when sharing a race track with a field of F1 cars, and not requiring any engine, cooling or braking upgrades before taking on the role makes this iteration's base performance all the more impressive.
Bernd Mayländer, FIA Safety Car Driver, commented:
"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."
The new Vantage has undergone a comprehensive aerodynamic transformation to ready itself for the extreme cornering speeds of F1 cars. Modifications to the underfloor, front splitter, rear wing and FIA lightbar will extract every millisecond of performance on track.
Interior adjustments have also been made to support FIA Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer and his passenger in fulfilling their roles. Pole Position Seats take the place of the production seats to keep them secure while cornering at speed. Similarly, a purpose-built centre console has been integrated to display FIA systems as well as live lap times, track positioning of all cars and a rear-view camera. An ode to the brand's own racing colours, the interior's Lime Essence trim serves as a reminder that this Safety Car is still an Aston Martin.
Roberto Fedeli, Group Chief Technology Officer of Aston Martin, added:
"Every thought, every idea, every piece of technology and every stroke of the designer’s pen that went into Vantage can now be enjoyed by the fans of F1. This new car is already the fastest and most driver-focused Vantage yet, which makes it perfect for this unique job so to turn it into an Official FIA Safety Car of Formula One was primarily a task of adding all of the FIA equipment. Of course, it has additional aero not found on the road car to make sure it can attack the race track and showcase the capabilities of our newest ultra-luxury high-performance car."
The Vantage Safety Car will be joined by the DBX707 Medical Car, both of which will make their 2024 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. As in previous years, the cars will be finished in the very same Aston Martin Racing Green colours as their Formula One counterparts.
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