MARCH 16, 2021

F1 safety car driver nervous about new season

Long-time F1 safety car driver Bernd Maylander admits to feeling "nervous" about the 2021 season.

Long-time F1 safety car driver Bernd Maylander admits to feeling "nervous" about the 2021 season.

"I haven't been so nervous about a new season before," the German admitted to the Dutch publication Formule 1.

He is nervous because, for the first time, Formula 1 has two official safety cars - the usual Mercedes-AMG, and now an Aston Martin Vantage.

Maylander, 49, said he drove the Vantage "for the first time in my life" last week.

But why so nervous?: "Simply because this is something completely new," he said.

"It's good for Formula 1. I've been driving a Mercedes-AMG for so long and now another great, historic and cool brand has arrived. That is always good for Formula 1."

Maylander said he felt "immediately at home" in the Aston Martin.

"Of course there are differences," he added. "But you get used to that quickly.

"Although both have an AMG engine, the Mercedes is slightly more powerful. But whether you are doing 245 or 250kph makes little difference. The most important thing for me is that the cars behave perfectly on the track."

(GMM)