The Vantage Safety Car also features an ultra-wide Vaned grille and new front splitter that produces 132 pounds of additional downforce (343 pounds total) at 124 mph over the regular Vantage. Suspension, steering, and dampers have been modified while underbody bracing has been improved for a more rigid front-end. Robust cooling—key for a car that will go straight from full track pace to pitlane idle on the regular—has been developed out of things learned from the company’s multi-championship-winning Vantage GT4 racer. Of course, it’s outfitted with all of the lights, cameras, and screens necessary to support a full F1 event.
Meanwhile, the DBX was chosen for medical car duty due to it likely being the only Aston with enough cargo room for the requisite large medical bag, defibrillator, two fire extinguishers, and burn kit. The five leather-lined chairs in the street DBX have been replaced with four bucket seats—one for the driver, one for F1’s Medical Response Coordinator Dr. Ian Roberts, one local doctor, and one for any racing drivers who may or may not need a lift back to the pits. One key modification is a screen that can monitor live biometric data taken from race drivers’ gloves.