In case accidents or incidents, the FIA has to quickly assess whether the yellow flag is enough to get things back in order. If it is not, they must decide if the occurrence justifies suspending the race or if a safety car should go out to slow things down and get track conditions up to racing standards.
This sounds straightforward but remember; a Formula1 racecar wants and, in fact, needs to go fast. If the safety car is not up to speed, the racecars’ engines over-heat, losing brake and tire temperature, all of which contribute to catastrophic problems.

Thus, it is with great pride that MERCEDES-BENZ has put forth the official safety car since 1993. In 2010, MERCEDES will replace the SL63 with the SLS AMG. The new SLS sports specifications such as a 6.2 Litre V8 engine that produces 571 horsepower and a torque of 650 Nm. Even then this monster road car needs to modify its brakes and suspension, amongst many other things, to be ready for the circuits.
Bernd Maylander, a Formula1 resident safety car driver since 2000, will pilot the new Gullwing. He has the task of rounding up and slowing down the ferocious racecars during inclement weather and in times of incident and it’s his years of experience that ensure the race goes on. Bernd has had particular success as a touring car racer and is at home behind the MERCEDES wheel.

With the orange lights on, drivers must slow down and form a queue behind the SLS AMG - no overtaking is permitted. Every lap completed behind the safety car counts as an official lap. By the time the safety car is ready to get off the track, we usually have a brewing storm of drivers ready to floor their cars back into action as they pass the start/finish line.
Whilst some may moan at the thought of the safety car slowing the race down, audiences should bear in mind that the monumental task of keeping the race going, falls on the shoulders of one man, behind the wheels of one very special road car!