F1 Looks Back On 50 Years Of Safety Cars, Starting With The Porsche 914 (2024)

FAQs

When did F1 start using safety cars? ›

The safety car was officially introduced in 1993, following trials at the French and British Grand Prix in 1992. The safety car has been a variety of different models since it was first implemented in 1993.

The first F1 safety car was a "lemon-yellow" Porsche 914, and it made its debut at the rain-soaked 1973 Canadian Grand Prix. It was a far cry from the kind of sports cars used today. A rear engine provided the tiny car with about 80 horsepower.

Porsche is no stranger to innovation, but the automaker has traditionally focused on refining their road cars rather than chasing Formula 1 glory. Their commitment to creating exceptional sports cars that enthusiasts can enjoy on the open road has been their guiding principle.

Safety gear was a bit of a 'whatever you fancy' back in 1950. Two years before the mandated use of cork helmets, Dr Farina arrived at Silverstone with his trusty cloth skull cap, two pairs of goggles (he wore the spare pair around his neck during the race), cotton overalls, leather boots and leather gloves.

The Safety Car made its first appearance at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, as a result of several incidents caused by harsh weather conditions. To control the chaos, a slick Porsche 914 was deployed out on track, driven by former Canadian racing driver, Eppie Wietzes.

Eppie Wietzes, a former F1 privateer from Canada, was the first ever safety car driver at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, with disastrous results. Next, the Monaco Grand Prix had the Lamborghini Countach, but it is not known who drove the car during this time.

Rumoured to have a list price of £142,000, the F1 Edition will provide increased power of 527bhp (535ps) and a top speed of 195mph.

Why do Bugatti and Lamborghini not participate in races like other cars? It's a matter of budget and emphasis. Bugatti, the numbers are just too small and there is little brand value to gain. For Lamborghini, they also don't embrace racing like Ferrari.

Why is Lamborghini not in F1? ›

So why doesn't Lamborghini have an F1 team? Lamborghini's parent company, Volkswagen AG, now have other brands involved in F1. Porsche it set to become the engine manufacturer for multiple teams and Audi will have their own team. Lamborghini did try racing in F1 for a few years in the early 90s, but it did not go well.

Lamborghini doesn't have an official Formula 1 team. The Italian carmaker did enter the sport back in the early 1990s, though.

Lorenzo Bandini (21 December 1935 – 10 May 1967) was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams. He had one win in 42 Formula One races, and died from an accident at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix when his open-wheel Ferrari 312 overturned and caught fire.

The residential properties may be expensive, but an F1 driver's salary affords places that are opulent and luxurious, most coming with stunning sea views over the harbour, making it the perfect place to hang out between races.

Monaco's race certainly looks like no other. The yachts lining the harbour form an iconic backdrop, as do spots such as the hairpin at Casino Square and the famous tunnel section. That backdrop, a city for the super wealthy located between the Maritime Alps and the French Riviera, is unmatched at any other event.

2009 Italian Grand Prix

Two races ended under Safety Car conditions in 2009. The second race to do so was the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, in which Rubens Barrichello recorded Brawn GP's final race win. The Safety Car was called out on the final lap due to Lewis Hamilton crashing out from third place.

A Honda Prelude, Porsche 993 GT2 and a Lamborghini Diablo would all provide safety car cameos for formation laps in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

Virtual safety cars (VSC) were introduced in 2015 following Jules Bianchi's fatal crash during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, to control cars' speeds during yellow and double yellow flags. Bianchi hit a recovery vehicle that was removing another car that had skidded off the track.

Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG

Used in: 1999 and 2000 Formula 1 seasons. At the turn of the millennium, F1 was still using Mercedes-Benz safety cars, including the CL55 AMG that ran in the '99 and 2000 seasons. This was also the first car driven by current F1 safety car driver Bernd Mayländer.