Official safety car with 125 hp

Motorsports- Magazin.com – In 2021, Formula 1 will have two official partners for safety and medical cars for the first time, namely Aston Martin and Mercedes. The sport was a far cry from the classy look at the premiere of the first official safety car. On March 28, 1993, a flagship 125 hp vehicle had to keep Formula 1 cars in check.

Today’s safety car has a permanent place in the Formula 1 world. It drives on the track when conditions are not safe enough to hold a regular race. This may be necessary due to an accident or heavy rain, for example. FIA Racing Director Michael Massey decides to use the safety car and is in constant contact with driver Bernd Maylander and co-driver Richard Darker. This ensures that all the gears necessary for a smooth operation mesh together.

The first safety car in the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix

This was not the case when a Formula 1 safety car was first sent onto the track after an accident at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, which caused a lot of confusion. Since some drivers have headed to the stop, it gets confused and the safety car accidentally caused the wrong car. After the race, it took a few hours for the error in the result lists to be corrected. Peter Revson at McLaren won the race in Moosport.

FIA, F1 & Co – Explained: This is how Formula 1 works: (10:32 min)

Why was the first stage and for a long time the only safety car in Canada in relation to the structure of the sport. At that time, the Grand Prix organizers enjoyed greater independence in organizing the race. There was no article in the regulations stipulating the provision of a safety car. In terms of rules, this wasn’t the first safety car to be used in Formula 1.

It was two more decades before this existed. Meanwhile, some regulators, such as Automobile Club de Monaco, Monaco GP host, have used safety cars.

In the 1992 season, regulators wrote the specifications to prepare for the official introduction of the safety car. They tested the approach mid-season in races in Magny-Cours and Silverstone. History repeated itself: Practically in Silverstone, Mika Heikkinen was chosen as a fictional captain to be the first to follow the Safety Car. But it did not go that far. Häkkinen drove his car down the pit lane. Once again there was chaos.

The official safety car premiere in Brazil

For the 1993 season, a safety car was included in the regulations. Since then, it can be used in every race if the situation calls for it. This was the case for the first time at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix. After Ukyo Katayama and Aguri Suzuki had an accident at the start / end right in the rain, the racing department used an official safety car for the first time. He slowed the field for eight laps. The used car was not the sports car it is today. It was the Fiat Tempra, a traditional sedan.

While drafting the rules, Benetton’s team leader, Flavio Briatore, brought up the idea of ​​a non-safety safety car before the 1993 season. It should have been used as soon as it advanced more than a dozen seconds. This suggestion has not been implemented.