Bahrain GP debut for new Mercedes-Benz Safety Car

"The CLK 63 AMG safety car will have the task of keeping the Formula 1 racecars safely out of trouble in the event of accidents or bad weather," said Johannes Fritz, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes Car Group.

At a signal from Race Control, the safety car piloted by former DTM driver Bernd Mayländer will move into position at the head of the field and lead the cars round the track at the fastest possible speed - since otherwise the high-engine F1 engines will overheat and the tyres will lose grip.

The high-speed AMG V8 Coupé is excellently equipped for this job. Its new, eight-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, developed entirely by AMG, has a displacement of 6.3 litres and develops maximum power of 481 hp at 6800 rpm and maximum torque of 630 Newton metres at 5000 rpm.
The power is managed by an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission with steering-wheel shift paddles. For its Formula 1 role, the CLK 63 AMG gets a new throaty-sounding exhaust system.

Meanwhile, as in previous years, a Mercedes-Benz C 55 AMG estate will be ready for action in all 18 Formula 1 races as the official medical car. Its job is to help as fast as possible at the scene of an emergency.