The AMR24 race car won’t be the only Aston Martin hitting the track at each round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.

The heavily updated 2025 Aston Martin Vantage has been named F1’s official safety car, and this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the first race where the car will be on duty.

The outgoing Vantage was already serving as F1’s safety car together with the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series, and was on duty during this past weekend’s season opener in Bahrain. Aston Martin’s DBX707 also serves as F1’s official medical car.

The safety car’s job is to lead the field during warm-up laps and also come out if there’s a crash or bad weather. But because F1 cars often need to maintain a certain pace so their tires, brakes, and engines stay at optimal temperatures, the safety car also needs to be quick. Very quick.

The outgoing Vantage has been criticized by some drivers for moving too slowly at times, though this shouldn’t be an issue for the new version whose 656 hp represents a substantial jump over the outgoing car’s 503 hp in stock form and 527 hp in its safety car configuration.

Some modifications have been made to the aerodynamics aimed at increasing downforce. The most notable change is the new rear wing. A lightbar has been added to the roof, and inside sit various systems to assist the driver and passenger in their roles.

Behind the wheel at each round will be Bernd Mayländer, a former DTM racing driver who has served as the F1 safety car driver since 2000.

Aston Martin will start customer deliveries of the latest Vantage during the second quarter of the year. Pricing information will be announced closer to the market launch.