Aston Martin DBX will share the Official Medical Car of Formula 1® responsibilities this season, driven by Alan van der Merwe (41, South Africa). Like the safety car, the medical car is distinguishable by its 2021 Aston Martin Racing Green paint with Lime Green accents - as well as the prominent FIA medical car livery, LED rear number plate and roof-mounted LED light-bar which sits upon the roof rails. Powered by the 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine, also found in DB11 and Vantage, DBX provides an impressive output of 550PS and 700NM of torque which launches DBX from 0 to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 181mph. All this ensures the FIA medical team can respond effectively to an emergency. With a sound that is unquestionably Aston Martin, the active exhaust system means DBX will not only be seen, but heard, as it does.
The Official Medical Car of Formula 1® is required to carry a substantial amount of equipment including a large medical bag, a defibrillator, two fire extinguishers and a burn kit - and the DBX is more than equipped with 632 litres of boot space. Whilst the interior trim is fully representative of a customer vehicle, the central rear seat has been removed, and the remaining four have been replaced with sport bucket seats, each equipped with a 6-point safety harness.
These provide seating for the driver, Alan van der Merwe and Dr Ian Roberts - the FIA Formula 1® Medical Response Coordinator, as well as a Local Doctor, leaving one spare, in case an incident requires a racing driver to be driven back to the pit lane. Much like the safety car, two screens have been mounted onto the dashboard to provide live race footage. An additional screen is used to read live biometric data delivered via technology in the drivers' gloves, which in the event of an accident, provides critical information on their condition. The 'Marshalling System' and the rear-view mirror camera display have also been installed into the medical car. The development of both these Official Safety Car of Formula 1® and Official Medical Car of Formula 1® was carried out by the engineering team at Aston Martin. Both vehicles have endured significant testing, which included high-speed durability assessments and aggressive circuit driving at the Aston Martin facility at Silverstone, totting up almost 15,000km collectively. The vehicles have also been tested in a dyno climate chamber to ensure they will perform in all race conditions.
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