Safety car choice - by country

[donkmeister]

What with the safety car doing so many miles today it might need to pull in to fill up soon, I got to thinking...

Instead of an ongoing Mercedes product placement-fest, wouldn't it be nice if the safety car was changed for each GP, reflecting the motor industry of that country where possible? Obviously not every country that hosts the GP has a major motor industry, but many have small volume producers. At the very least it could reflect the spirit of that nation.

So, what car would you pick for the 2020 GPs and why?

Austria
Hungary
Great Britain
Spain
Belgium
Italy
Russia
Germany
Portugal

[glazbagun]

IIRC, tracks did use different safety cars. I have memories of Senna being stuck behind a Cavalier and I'm pretty sure Mercedes got the SC gig as Renualt had nothing that could handle it either- 21 Turbo IIRC?

I'l like to see a stripped out GT racer or LM prototype.

[Mr E]

They used to be supplied by the circuit. And, sometimes were so slow as to be dangerous.

Regs now specify the same car to be used I think.

A better idea. Qualifying is a 20 lap touring car race with all drivers in identical “local” cars.

[Pericoloso]

Italy.....FIAT Gamine.....that'll make Lord Lewis whinge about going too slow !

[768]

Mr E said:

They used to be supplied by the circuit. And, sometimes were so slow as to be dangerous.

And sometimes too stealthy.

[Mark-C]

768 said:

Mr E said:

They used to be supplied by the circuit. And, sometimes were so slow as to be dangerous.

And sometimes too stealthy.

And sometimes in the way --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWq8zH5GjA0

[//j17]

Mark-C said:

And sometimes in the way --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWq8zH5GjA0

That got me watching this -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7h4DNo4tpM Titled "Safety / Medical Car Fails Caught by Camera" though better titled "Driver double waved yellow fails" for the majority of them.

[thegreenhell]

Isn't the perfect safety car a chipped 330d Touring? Admittedly, the F1 drivers would then be complaining that they couldn't keep up with it...

[Europa1]

I look forward to next year at Silverstone, seeing Bernd Mylander wrestling a blower Bentley around the track. I trust he will eschew a crash helmet in favour of a flying helmet and unfeasibly large goggles.

[Mr Tidy]

thegreenhell said:

Isn't the perfect safety car a chipped 330d Touring? Admittedly, the F1 drivers would then be complaining that they couldn't keep up with it...

But by country that would need to be Germany, and I suspect a Mercedes might be the preferred choice for some reason!

Still if it has to be a chipped diseasel you might as well start with a 335d.

[generationx]

There used to be some great (and memorable) safety/medical cars - Silverstone Sid in his Jaguar and the Hockenheim 928s were good examples. Some were less impressive, I'm sure I remember Imola had Fiats?

[TheDeuce]

thegreenhell said:

Isn't the perfect safety car a chipped 330d Touring? Admittedly, the F1 drivers would then be complaining that they couldn't keep up with it...

I had a chipped 330d touring. One of the best all round cars that sensible money can buy - but it's not going to keep up with a 600hp AMG on the track. Even allowing for the fact the current AMG is often not actually flat out.

[Stuart70]

TheDeuce said:

thegreenhell said:

Isn't the perfect safety car a chipped 330d Touring? Admittedly, the F1 drivers would then be complaining that they couldn't keep up with it...

I had a chipped 330d touring. One of the best all round cars that sensible money can buy - but it's not going to keep up with a 600hp AMG on the track. Even allowing for the fact the current AMG is often not actually flat out.

It is an old, very old PistonHeads “joke” about the BMW. Although to be fair, I think it was about a 335d.

[TheDeuce]

Stuart70 said:

TheDeuce said:

thegreenhell said:

Isn't the perfect safety car a chipped 330d Touring? Admittedly, the F1 drivers would then be complaining that they couldn't keep up with it...

I had a chipped 330d touring. One of the best all round cars that sensible money can buy - but it's not going to keep up with a 600hp AMG on the track. Even allowing for the fact the current AMG is often not actually flat out.

It is an old, very old PistonHeads “joke” about the BMW. Although to be fair, I think it was about a 335d.

Wooosh

[cholo]

I was actually thinking to myslelf the other day...

I have seen pretty much everything in F1, but one thing i haven't seen is the safety car crash. Has it ever happened?

They say that he has to drive it on the limit for it to be safe for the F1 cars? Or is Burt not Human?

[sparta6]

generationx said:

There used to be some great (and memorable) safety/medical cars - Silverstone Sid in his Jaguar and the Hockenheim 928s were good examples. Some were less impressive, I'm sure I remember Imola had Fiats?

I agree, re-introducing a mix of exotic cars would make it more interesting than the same Merc.

That must've been some sweetner from Mercedes for so long

[Mr E]

cholo said:

I was actually thinking to myslelf the other day...

I have seen pretty much everything in F1, but one thing i haven't seen is the safety car crash. Has it ever happened?

They say that he has to drive it on the limit for it to be safe for the F1 cars? Or is Burt not Human?

I don’t think it’s ever happened during a race. Certainly has happened during practise.

Traditionally, the drivers and mechanics applaud when it’s dragged back into the pit lane.

https://wtf1.com/post/the-time-the-medical-car-bin...

[sgtBerbatov]

dibbers006 said:

Austria - a 1000bhp go-kart
Hungary - David Coulthard in an 1999 spec F1
Great Britain - a heavily tuned Escort Cosworth
Spain - a group of thoroughbred horses
Belgium - a racing badger
Italy - Countach
Russia - Got to be some sort of tank
Germany - AMG Merc that is not allowed to drive straight at any point
Portugal - erm... an Allegro?

Completely wrong. The car should reflect the country. Like this.

Austria - Fiat Panda 4x4
Hungary - Skoda Estelle
Great Britain - Temporary 4 way Traffic Lights at Maggots
Spain - Seat Ibiza, the one with the "Powered by Porsche" on it
Belgium - Citroen HV without the Ford Pinto engine upgrade
Italy - Lancia Beta
Russia - Lada. Obvs.
Germany - BMW Izetta or a Trabant. Depends if you need to hit reverse.
Portugal - Christiano Ronaldo

[Nampahc Niloc]

sgtBerbatov said:

dibbers006 said:

Austria - a 1000bhp go-kart
Hungary - David Coulthard in an 1999 spec F1
Great Britain - a heavily tuned Escort Cosworth
Spain - a group of thoroughbred horses
Belgium - a racing badger
Italy - Countach
Russia - Got to be some sort of tank
Germany - AMG Merc that is not allowed to drive straight at any point
Portugal - erm... an Allegro?

Completely wrong. The car should reflect the country. Like this.

Austria - Fiat Panda 4x4
Hungary - Skoda Estelle
Great Britain - Temporary 4 way Traffic Lights at Maggots
Spain - Seat Ibiza, the one with the "Powered by Porsche" on it
Belgium - Citroen HV without the Ford Pinto engine upgrade
Italy - Lancia Beta
Russia - Lada. Obvs.
Germany - BMW Izetta or a Trabant. Depends if you need to hit reverse.
Portugal - Christiano Ronaldo

Portugal: give them all a glass of port to hold and tell them that they get a 5 second penalty for every drop they spill.

[TheDeuce]

Nampahc Niloc said:

Portugal: give them all a glass of port to hold and tell them that they get a 5 second penalty for every drop they spill.

Kimi comes back with an empty glass... "I spilled a lot"