Mercedes-AMG GT R Is The Most Powerful F1 Safety Car Yet

Mercedes has been supplying F1 with official safety cars for over 20 years now, with all of them being eminently fast and powerful. This one however is the most powerful yet.

It’s a new Mercedes-AMG GT R that’s been outfitted to set the pace this year, replacing the GT S that has filled the position until now. The top version of Affalterbach’s dedicated sports car packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as so many other AMG-tuned models.

But in the GT R, it’s tuned to deliver 577 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to send the Porsche 911 rival rocketing to 60 in 3.5 seconds.

Like most other pace or safety cars, this one’s been fitted with all manner of extra equipment. There’s racing harnesses, a roll cage, radio communication equipment, and flashing lights. The GT R also bears the series’ new logo on its hood and doors.

“I am very much looking forward to my new company car,” said F1’s official safety car driver Bernd Mayländer. “It is an absolute highlight in terms of driving dynamics and is one level higher up still than the AMG GT S of recent years. Of course, ideally the safety car should be deployed as rarely as possible – but when we have to safely bunch up the Formula 1 field and lead it around the track, we will be superbly equipped with the AMG GT R.”

The new safety car will be on hand for the season opener in Melbourne this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, where it will be joined by a Mercedes-AMG C63 S wagon, serving as the medical car.