Aston Martin will stop supplying F1 safety cars after a five-year run that began in 2021. Its safety-car agreement expired at the end of 2025 and was not renewed.

The marque gave no official reason for withdrawing; reports pointed to financial, logistical, and competitive factors. Aston Martin said the assignment had helped amplify its return to F1 and expressed gratitude for the association.

Drivers had criticized the Vantage’s lack of pace versus Mercedes‑supplied equipment — a contrast noted by George Russell after the 2022 Australian Grand Prix and captured in Max Verstappen’s “green turtle” jibe. On-track results also weakened Aston Martin’s position: the team finished seventh of ten in the 2025 constructors’ standings with 89 points, while McLaren won the title. Aston Martin had upgraded the Vantage over time — power rose from about 506 bhp in the early edition to roughly 656 bhp in 2024, and a Vantage S with about 670 bhp and aero changes debuted at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix — but the changes were not enough to keep the deal.

Mercedes will be the sole supplier of both F1 safety and medical cars for 2026, consolidating the role under the AMG brand. Mercedes has supplied F1 safety cars since 1996 and has used the AMG GT Black Series as the standard safety car since 2022; it plans to deploy a 730‑horsepower AMG GT Black Series at all 24 rounds in 2026 alongside a medical car based on the Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+. Bernd Maylander, the FIA safety‑car driver since 2000, will remain at the wheel during races.

The end of the split‑supplier arrangement hands sole operational responsibility to Mercedes, removes Aston Martin from that visible paddock role, and has prompted scrutiny of the costs, logistics, and competitive factors behind the marque’s decision to step back.