Aston Martin has a knack for marketing. Of course, it’s not like the British luxury marque really needs it. Thanks to their stunning designs, outright performance and, indeed, history associated with their iconic moniker, Aston Martins practically sell themselves.
However, what better way is there to improve sales than having your vehicle, especially when it’s of the sporty variety, associated with Formula 1? There’s arguably none.
Whether it may be for the above reason (marketing and such) or just for the thrill of it, having the Vantage as the official FIA Safety Car of Formula 1 has definitely paid off for the Gaydon-based brand.
Now, come this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the thoroughly upgraded Vantage is scheduled to take over the baton as the Official Safety Car of Formula 1 from the pre-updated model.
“[The] Vantage is the very essence of the Aston Martin brand, so to see the fastest, most driver-focused Vantage yet play such an important role in the prestigious FIA Formula One World Championship is a source of great pride for us,” said Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of Aston Martin.
“For brand awareness, there is no global, high-octane sporting series that can match F1. Building on the natural synergies between the sport and Aston Martin, racing fans will not only see the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team AMR24s on track but also two of our most exciting performance models, [the] Vantage and the award-winning DBX707.”
Bernd Mayländer, FIA Safety Car Driver, said: “It is a pleasure to drive the Aston Martin Vantage. The car comes from an incredible bloodline and this newest version is the fastest yet. My first impressions were very positive as I could immediately feel the improvement in handling and, of course, power.
“We need a car that is fast and focused so we can respond quickly and safely when we receive the call for on-track deployment and Vantage provides that. I have enjoyed driving [the] Vantage during the past three seasons and I’m happy to now be one of the first to drive the new Vantage and experience its full performance pedigree on the world’s greatest circuits.”
As a reminder, the latest version of the Vantage’s 4.0-litre V8 packs even more punch than before. The twin-turbocharged petrol unit now boasts 489 kW and 800 Nm, allowing for a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h.