Aston Martin Issue Official Statement Over F1 Safety Car Exit

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Aston Martin has issued an official statement following its decision to end its role as a Formula 1 safety and medical car supplier, a move that sees Mercedes return as the championship’s sole provider from the 2026 season.

The development emerged on Monday after it was confirmed that Aston Martin had opted not to extend its agreement to share safety car duties with Mercedes beyond the end of 2025. As a result, Formula 1 will revert to a structure last seen between 1996 and 2020, during which Mercedes alone supplied both safety and medical cars.

Aston Martin’s five-year tenure as a Formula 1 safety car supplier was marked by both high-profile visibility and sustained scrutiny. Much of the criticism centred on the weight and performance characteristics of the vehicles deployed during race neutralisations.

The original Vantage F1 Edition, introduced as Aston Martin’s first safety car, was widely regarded as suffering from a notable performance deficit compared to Mercedes’ equivalent. Heavier and producing less power, the car was frequently criticised for struggling to maintain the pace required to manage Formula 1 fields under safety car conditions.

That criticism extended into the paddock. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen famously labelled the Aston Martin safety car the “green turtle,” a reference to its distinctive livery and perceived lack of speed relative to Formula 1 standards.

In response, Aston Martin introduced successive updates aimed at addressing those shortcomings. Revised versions of the Vantage safety car featured increased power and improved dynamic performance. Despite those developments, the British manufacturer ultimately chose to conclude its involvement as a Formula 1 safety car supplier at the end of the 2025 season.

In its official statement, Aston Martin confirmed the formal conclusion of its agreement with Formula 1.

“Aston Martin’s agreement with Formula 1 to provide the Official FIA Safety and Medical Car concluded at the end of the 2025 season,” the statement read.

The manufacturer also reflected on the broader significance of its role during the five-year partnership.

“Having amplified the brand’s return to Formula 1, we are grateful for the association and success of holding this critical role on the grid for the past five years,” the statement continued.

With Aston Martin’s exit confirmed, Mercedes will once again assume full responsibility for supplying both the safety and medical cars in Formula 1. The move brings an end to the era of shared safety car duties and marks a return to a familiar operational model as the championship enters its next regulatory cycle.