Mercedes-AMG regains full control of F1 Safety and Medical Car duties for 2026 Season

Mercedes-AMG will supply the Official FIA Formula 1 Safety Car and Medical Car at every Grand Prix in 2026, marking a significant shift after five seasons of sharing the role with Aston Martin.

The decision ends a dual‑provider arrangement that began in 2021, restoring Mercedes to exclusive responsibility for the first time in half a decade. It also arrives at a symbolic moment for the brand, as 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of Mercedes’ involvement with the F1 Safety Car programme.

The partnership began at the 1996 French Grand Prix, held on June 30, and has since become one of the sport’s most recognisable technical collaborations.

Since 2022, the fleet has consisted of the Mercedes‑AMG GT Black Series as the Official FIA F1 Safety Car and the Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ as the Official FIA F1 Medical Car. Both models continue to serve not only Formula 1, but also Formula 2, Formula 3, and several junior and support categories.

Maintenance and preparation of the vehicles are handled directly by Mercedes-AMG, with additional technical support from specialists in Affalterbach. The cars are transported, serviced, and calibrated between events to ensure they meet the FIA’s stringent operational standards.

In 2025, Mercedes celebrated a major milestone at the United States Grand Prix in Austin: its 500th race as the official Safety Car provider. Over the course of this long partnership, the company has deployed 13 different Safety Car models and eight Medical Car models, reflecting continuous development in performance, safety, and technology.

The 2026 season will also mark a personal milestone for Bernd Mayländer, who has served as Formula 1’s Safety Car driver since 2000. When the championship arrives in Melbourne in March, Mayländer will reach his 500th Grand Prix behind the wheel — a remarkable achievement in a role that demands precision, consistency, and absolute trust from the FIA and the drivers who follow him.

Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, emphasised the importance of the brand’s long-standing involvement in Formula 1’s safety operations.

“Safety is an absolutely central value of our brand and our products,” he said. “That is why we have been providing the Official FIA F1 Safety and Medical Car since 1996. From the 2026 season onwards, the FIA F1 Official Cars will once again bear the star at all F1 events. In this way, we will continue to make an active contribution to safety in the premier class of motorsport.”

Sagemüller also highlighted the technical relevance of the programme: “For Mercedes-AMG, Formula 1 is not only a sporting platform, but also an environment in which the performance, reliability, and safety of our vehicles become visible under extreme conditions.”