(Motorsports new) When there is a collision or other problem on the course, spectators may usually see the Formula 1 safety car, which is an essential component of the competition. There are two kinds of safety cars: one that is physically present on the track and the other is a virtual safety car (VSC) that can be used to manage the cars while wreckage is cleared from the track or vehicles are being recovered.

Compacting the field can significantly alter a team’s race strategy and add excitement to the competition. When there is debris on the circuit or a car that needs to be retrieved, an F1 safety car is used to slow down the racing while the issue is rectified.

What is a safety car in F1? 

In Formula One, the safety car is a real vehicle that is brought onto the circuit to restrict the pace of other vehicles. It moves at a certain pace to allow marshals to safely emerge to pick up wrecked cars or clear debris from the circuit. The safety car’s reduced pace causes traffic behind it to congest, and no vehicle is permitted to pass until instructed to do so.

If it’s raining, the safety car can also be utilized to slow down the drivers and stop an accident during a formation lap of the race. Drivers will notice yellow flags and big LED “SC” screens flashing on the side of the track when the safety car is deployed, alerting them to the need to slow down. At the conclusion of each lap, the safety car will return to pitlane when all issues have been resolved, and the drivers will be given the all-clear to resume racing at the beginning of the following lap.

When did the safety vehicle make its debut?

The Canadian Grand Prix in 1973 marked the introduction of the safety car to Formula 1. A yellow Porsche 914 was carried onto the track following a number of incidents caused by unfavorable weather. After the driver mistakenly parked his car in front of the wrong competitor, causing a portion of the field to be incorrectly one lap down, the usage of the first safety car became contentious. Because of this, determining the race winner took several hours.

Following its formal debut at the British and French Grand Prix in 1992, the safety car was unveiled in 1993. Since the safety car was initially introduced in 1993, there have been many different types. The car changed brands during the seasons based on where it was used, such as a Lamborghini Countach for the Monaco Grand Prix and a Lamborghini Diablo for the Canadian Grand Prix, between its introduction and 1995.

Numerous vehicles have been utilized as safety cars over the years, such as the Renault Clio at the 1996 Argentina Grand Prix and the Fiat Tempra 16v at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix. When the safety car was standardized in 1996, a Mercedes-Benz was added to guarantee performance. After 2021, Aston Martin divided up the safety car responsibilities.

What is a Formula One virtual safety car?

The virtual safety car (VSC) 1 is a timed vehicle that drivers must adhere to; unlike the traditional safety car, it does not bring a physical car onto the track or group the field of vehicles together. Compared to a typical safety car, it is less disruptive and safer for marshals because everyone is traveling at the same speed. If the race director determines that any recovery work can be completed with the drivers moving more slowly, they will employ a VSC.

Yellow flags and VSC flashing on lit signage surrounding the track will be visible to drivers. Each driver will see a delta time on their steering wheel that indicates their proximity to the VSC time. Drivers are prohibited from passing one another and the lap pace is reduced to about 30–40% of the typical race pace due to the delta. In 2015, the virtual safety car was unveiled in response to Jules Bianchi’s passing during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Based on a “Slow Zone” system employed in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA accident commission suggested implementing the VSC.

The F1 safety cars are of what model?

During the 2023 Formula One season, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and Aston Martin Vantage were the two safety cars in use. The races that the cars compete in are alternated. With 730 horsepower, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series can reach top speeds of 202 mph. The Aston Martin Vantage has 195 mph top speed and 528 horsepower, which is a little less power.

Who operates the F1 safety car?

Since 2000, Bernd Maylander has led more than 700 laps while operating the safety car in Formula One. 52-year-old German driver Maylander placed second in the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours after competing in the DTM. A second driver joins Maylander in his vehicle to help with communication and operations. The two must remain in the safety car the whole race in order to be ready to go into action at a moment’s notice.

What F1 safety car regulations were appled in 2023?

After the contentious restart at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA modified the F1 safety car regulations at the end of 2021. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were able to participate in the last race of the season because only their lapped vehicles on the circuit were permitted to pass the safety car. Hamilton was passed by Verstappen on the final lap. Verstappen won his first Formula One world championship after the overtake, preventing Hamilton from winning his eighth.

Following the contentious victory, the safety car must now be passed by all lapped vehicles before the race can resume. In order to guarantee that drivers maintained a full car length behind the vehicle in front, regulations were also modified. Before the last lap, Verstappen passed Hamilton for a brief period of time.

Verstappen made multiple attempts at the move in 2022, leading to a modification in the rules. Niels Wittich, the race director, revised the event notes to strictly prohibit such actions. “Drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart,” the update stated, in order to reduce the possibility of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits.

What distinguishes the medical car from the safety car?

In order to protect the drivers’ health and safety during a Formula 1 race, the FIA medical car responds to any accidents on the site. Alan van der Merwe is the driver of the Aston Martin DBX707 or Mercedes-AMG C 63 S, and Dr. Ian Roberts, an FIA-certified physician, is typically present. Despite being slower than the safety car, the medical car needs to react promptly to any on-track collisions. The vehicle is equipped with medical equipment that can assist a driver in the event of an injury.

One distinction between the medical car and the safety car is that the latter will participate in at least one lap at the beginning of every grand prix. If there is an incident on the first lap, the medical vehicle can be closer to the scene because it will queue up on the grid behind the drivers.

Also read: Piastri: The F1 2023 will be a wilder ride than anticipated