Mercedes will be the sole supplier of Formula 1's safety and medical cars this season, The Race can reveal, with Aston Martin stepping back from its involvement.
Aston Martin had shared responsibility for supplying F1's safety vehicles with Mercedes since 2021 but it will not be continuing into the 2026 season.
Its initial foray into providing the safety car featured some controversy because the upgraded Vantage F1 edition that it used at the time was heavier and a lot less powerful than the AMG GT Black Series that Mercedes provided.
Weighing 45kg more than the Mercedes and carrying a 200bhp deficit meant the Aston Martin was not as quick, and this famously led to it being nicknamed the "green turtle" by Max Verstappen following its use in the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
"The safety car was driving so slow, it was like a turtle. Unbelievable," explained the Red Bull driver after the Melbourne event that year.
"To drive 140km/h [87mph] on the back straight, there was not a damaged car, so I don't understand why we have to drive so slowly. We have to investigate."
Aston Martin brought an improved Vantage for the start of the 2024 season, which delivered a 150bhp boost up to 656bhp thanks to bigger turbochargers, more cooling and new camshafts.
Last year at the Dutch Grand Prix, it introduced a further upgraded model Vantage S as its safety car – with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing around 670bhp.
It also featured aerodynamic upgrades, including a new rear deck spoiler, and other performance improvements to make it as quick as possible.
It is not clear why Aston Martin has elected not to continue with its safety car involvement, but it could be down to commercial reasons. A statement from the team said the deal had simply "concluded at the end of the 2025 season" but underlined that it had been beneficial during Aston Martin's first years back on the grid.
"Having amplified the brand’s return to F1, we are grateful for the association and success of holding this critical role on the grid for the past five years," the statement added.
Mercedes is now stepping up to supply safety and medical cars for the entire season.
Mercedes has been the supplier of F1 safety cars since 1996, and since 2022 it has used its Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series model.
Most recently it has been painted red with branding from team sponsor CrowdStrike, which helped bring some commercial benefits to its involvement.
The medical car is a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, which produces 639hp and can accelerate from 0-100km/h (62mph) in 3.2 seconds.
