Bernd Mayländer: 25 years of F1 Safety Cars

Bernd Mayländer is one of the most experienced drivers in F1, despite never having competed as a regular driver. At the recent United States Grand Prix in Austin, the German driver reached 500 races as the official Mercedes / Aston Martin F1 Safety Car driver. He also celebrates 25 years in this role, which began in 2000 and has continued without interruption to this day. Over his career, Mayländer has driven 10 different cars across 25 seasons, all used during the most critical phases of each race.

The Role of the F1 Safety Car Driver

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His job, along with the medical staff in a separate vehicle, is to lead the pack under yellow flag conditions in the event of an incident. The goal is to bunch up the drivers, while staying in constant contact with race control and the track marshals to manage the situation.

Drivers behind him must coordinate with each other and are not allowed to overtake the Safety Car until its lights are turned off and it leaves the track for the restart. Being a road car, F1 drivers often complain about the slow pace, which can cool their tires at crucial moments before the restart.

Mayländer’s Career in International Championships

Mayländer also competed in other major international series, including the DTM (1995-1996, 2001-2004) and a stint in FIA GT in 1997 with Mercedes, though without particularly notable championship results.

Thanks to a collaboration with Mercedes, in 2000 he moved into F1 as the Safety Car driver, starting with the Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG, the first official car he drove on the grid.

The Cars Driven by Mayländer

• Mercedes CL 55 AMG (2000) – V8 with 360 hp.
• SL 55 AMG (2001-2002) – 5400cc engine with 500 hp.
• CLK 55 AMG (2003) – V8 5400cc with around 360 hp.
• SLK 55 AMG (2004-2005) – Small and agile, 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.
• CLK 63 AMG (2006-2007) – Naturally aspirated 6208cc engine with 481 hp.
• SL 63 AMG (2008-2009) – V8 upgraded to 525 hp.

In the last 15 years, F1 Safety Cars have become true supercars, offering prestige and keeping up with increasingly fast and sophisticated F1 cars:

• Mercedes SLS AMG (2010-2015) – 6208cc V8 producing 571 hp, a modern reinterpretation of the classic Gullwing.
• AMG GT S (2015-2017) – 4000cc biturbo V8 with 510 hp at 6250 rpm.
• AMG GT R / Black Series (2018-2020) – The “wild sister,” last Mercedes model before Aston Martin joined, with the Black Series version featuring a striking red livery.

Since 2020, Aston Martin has entered the Safety Car program, and Bernd Mayländer drives the Vantage S, equipped with a Mercedes V8 biturbo producing 680 hp, an FIA light bar, and all necessary safety and communication equipment. The car is painted in “Podium Green”, the same as the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team cars.

500 Races Leading the Pack in F1

In short, 500 F1 races always leading the pack make for an impressive career. And who knows how many more times Bernd Mayländer will guide the field ahead of future world champions, maintaining control and composure on track.