During the 2026 Hungarian GP, Mercedes introduced a new car that will serve as the safety car in Formula 1. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ model appears in the season in which Mercedes celebrates the 30th anniversary of supplying safety cars for F1.
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From 2026, Mercedes is again the exclusive supplier of the safety car and medical car for Formula 1 under a new contract. In the first half of the current season, the well-known Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series model, used for several years as the SC, was utilized, but from the Hungarian GP it was replaced by the newer Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ model.
Details about the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ car
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+, which serves as the safety car in Formula 1, is an enhanced version of the car available for regular sale. The car has a four-liter V8 biturbo engine producing 612 horsepower. The top speed is 317 km/h. The car has all-wheel drive (it automatically adjusts power distribution between axles). The F1-used car has a more developed aerodynamic package than the Pro version available for sale. Additionally, it is equipped with the FIA-required lighting system, which is more advanced compared to the previous SC model. The car uses Pirelli racing tires. Its suspension individually adapts to body roll during driving. The F1 safety car is based on the road-going Pro version of this Mercedes model, which can be purchased at dealerships in Poland. You can view this model on the Polish Mercedes branch website here.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ as a safety car – photo gallery
During the 2026 Hungarian GP, special colors were used on the SC to celebrate 30 years in F1.
Source: Mercedes
30 years of Mercedes as a supplier of safety cars for F1
Mercedes debuted as a supplier of safety cars for Formula 1 starting from the 1996 season. The “Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+” debuting from the 2026 Hungarian GP is the fourteenth model of this manufacturer’s car to serve as the official F1 SC. Below you can see the complete list along with the seasons in which they were used.
1996 – Mercedes-Benz C 36 AMG
1997 – 1999 – Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG
1999 – 2001 – Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG
2001 – 2002 – Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG
2003 – Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG
2004 – 2005 – Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG
2006 – 2007 – Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG
2008 – 2009 – Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG
2010 – 2012 – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
2012 – 2014 – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
2015 – 2017 – Mercedes-AMG GT S
2018 – 2021 – Mercedes-AMG GT R
2022 – 2026 – Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
From 2026 – Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+
Mercedes also supplies medical cars; in 2026 they use the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ model. This is the eighth Mercedes model to serve as a medical car.
Mercedes prepares three safety car units and two medical car units for the entire season, which travel around the world, and during each race weekend, two of them are available at the track. The cars are used in F1 as well as in support series during Grand Prix weekends, so they drive a lot every weekend. Their technical maintenance is handled by the Mercedes factory in Affalterbach, Germany.
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Video about the safety car and Bernd Mayländer
Below you can watch a video about the SC and an interview with Bernd Mayländer, which Eleven Sports TV prepared during the 2026 Belgian GP, the last weekend when the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series car was used.
What does the safety car look like from the inside? Bernd Mayländer opened the door to his kingdom and showed the behind-the-scenes of his work! 👀
What happens in the car when it goes out on the track? 🤔🏁
Interview with the German driver by @M_Gasiorowski 🎤🇩🇪 #ElevenF1 pic.twitter.com/bRuSCWzv8n
— ELEVEN SPORTS PL (@ELEVENSPORTSPL) July 23, 2026
Since 2000, the safety car driver in F1 has been Bernd Mayländer, who missed only a few weekends in the early years of his work. During this year’s Australian GP, the German was the SC driver for the 500th time in Formula 1. Mayländer is 55 years old, but there are no signs suggesting he is planning to retire and that someone else will take over his duties. Obviously, he has served in this role not only behind the wheel of Mercedes cars but also Aston Martin’s from 2021 to 2025, when their cars also served as the official F1 SC.
Summary
For Mercedes, the contract to supply safety and medical cars is very important from a marketing point of view. Its value has never been disclosed, but it must also be financially beneficial for Liberty Media. Mercedes advertises its new road car models this way, which certainly translates into better recognition and sales. From this year, they have the contract exclusively again, as for the past five years they shared it with Aston Martin. Mercedes probably paid more money for this privilege.
P.S. Thanks to Patryk Gerber for the technical information about the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+.
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