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Mercedes Reclaims Full F1 Safety Car Supply for 2026 as Aston Martin Steps Back

Aston Martin confirmed its five-year course-car deal ended after 2025 with no stated reason, following upgrades that aimed to close an early performance gap.

Overview

  • Aston Martin said its agreement to provide the FIA safety and medical cars concluded at the end of 2025 and it will not continue in 2026.
  • Mercedes will be the sole supplier this season, with the AMG GT Black Series as the safety car and a GT 63 S–based model serving as the medical car.
  • The two marques had alternated safety- and medical-car duties since 2021, ending Mercedes’s prior run as the lone supplier dating back to 1996.
  • Aston Martin’s initial Vantage drew paddock criticism for lower performance—famously labeled the “green turtle” by Max Verstappen—prompting 2024 and 2025 upgrades including the Vantage S and the DBX707 medical car.
  • The company did not give a reason for ending the role, and reports have floated commercial factors as a possibility, while veteran driver Bernd Mayländer continues in the safety car seat.