"In general, the VSC and the Safety Car are quite similar. Both will bring down the tyre temperatures, both will make the restart tricky. "However, the VSC is usually less challenging for the team because the cars travel faster and thus the drop in tyre temperature is not as steep as it is under the Safety Car.

Since 2021, safety car duties have been shared between long-standing supplier Mercedes - which runs a 720bhp AMG GT Black Series track-focused sports car - and the upgraded Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition.

The Vantage is the official FIA Safety Car of Formula 1®. Standing as another addition to our rich racing heritage. And built from the ferocious foundations of the latest Aston Martin Vantage but tuned with the force to meet the demands of a life-saving role.

In motorsport, a safety car, or a pace car, is an automobile which limits the speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather.