New Mercedes-AMG GT R Safety Car revealed

The new Mercedes will debut as the Official FIA F1 Safety Car at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

Boasting an improved output of 585bhp and an impressive top speed of 318 km/h, this new machine is the fastest and most powerful safety car in F1 history. and it is quite the looker too. Having been based on the GT3 Mercedes AMG car and developed at the Nürburgring, there is no doubting its speed and pedigree.

Bernd Mayländer, official driver of the safety car in Formula One, has already spoken about his excitement about his new car.

"I am very much looking forward to my new company car. 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"

Mercedes has provided all official FIA F1 Safety Cars since 1996. Since then, cars like the CL 55 AMG, SL 55 AMG, and the SLS AMG have all been used. There will also be a brand new official FIA F1 Medical Car. This year’s car is the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate.

Even with the extra power and grip, odds are Lewis Hamilton might still complain about the lack of pace the safety car has this season compared to his W09.