The old Aston Martin Vantage F1 safety car looked stylish and had a good track record of service at various F1 events. However, its performance was not up to everyone’s taste with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen torching the car’s performance. Verstappen’s complaints (among others) prompted Aston Martin to unleash an improved Vantage F1 Safety Car which not only gets more muscle but also more technology as well.
More Performance Sharpens Vantage Safety Car Vibes
A key change that race fans and Aston Martin loyalists will notice is the infusion of extra power with this latest version of the safety car benefitting from the next generation Vantage’s reworked 4.0-liter V8 which now makes 656 hp. That’s a boost of 153 hp which should be more than enough to silence any doubters.
The exterior styling borrows a lot of core DNA from the roadgoing version but a large rear wing, chunky front splitter, and an extensive aero package helps improve the car’s ability to cut through the air. While Aston Martin didn’t reveal if they have plans to make a roadgoing version of this Vantage but we suspect that demand from customers will eventually force the company to change its mind like it did when fans wanted a production variant of the last safety car.
As for the interior, it has also undergone its fair share of changes. While the control layout in the center remains the same (except for a few buttons for FIA-mandated equipment), the stock seats have been replaced with a pair of Recaro Pole Position racing chairs with built-in harnesses for both the driver and front passenger. The passenger also gets two screens that not only show the positions of the cars on the track but can also provide occupants with live lap times and other information. The large wing chops into rear visibility so Aston engineers gave the car a rear camera feed to help improve visibility.
When Will I Get To See It?
The newly updated Vantage F1 Safety car will make its inaugural appearance at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix where it will do track duties alongside the DBX707 medical SUV. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as a whole will also be another key milestone for the Saudi government which has made massive investments in recent years to attract more sporting events to the kingdom. In addition to the upcoming race, the country has hosted several other sporting extravaganzas including several Saudi-based boxing events with the most recent featuring Tyson Fury vs UFC star turned-Boxer Francis Ngannou.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.