F1 LIVE | Mercedes shows off 2026 red Safety Car as Trump widens IndyCar schedule
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Mercedes unveils striking Safety Car look ahead of 2026 F1 season
Mercedes has revealed its new red Safety Car, which will act as the championship’s sole on-track intervention vehicle throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season.
It marks the first time since 2021 that Mercedes will exclusively handle Safety Car duties again, bringing an end to the alternating arrangement with Aston Martin and its Vantage that had been in place up to last year.
At the heart of the Black Series sits a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 positioned in a front-mid configuration and paired with a dry-sump lubrication system — a layout engineered to withstand prolonged high-intensity track use.
The powertrain delivers in the region of 720 to 730 horsepower alongside roughly 800 Nm of torque, ranking it among the most formidable V8 units ever installed in a road-legal Mercedes. Its performance figures reflect that pedigree, with the 0–100 km/h dash dispatched in around 3.2 seconds and a top speed in the region of 325 km/h depending on road or circuit trim.
Medical support duties will once again fall to the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+, while Aston Martin’s DBX will no longer feature in the on-track line-up.
Trump adds historic race to expand IndyCar’s 2026 calendar
US President Donald Trump has approved an executive order that will see an additional event introduced to the 2026 IndyCar schedule, officially increasing the number of rounds next season.
The American open-wheel series had originally planned a 17-race calendar, but the inclusion of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. will now bring the total up to 18 events.
The race is designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States and is set to be held on a temporary street circuit built around the National Mall in the nation’s capital.
It is currently slated for August 21–23, fitting into the calendar between the Markham Grand Prix on August 16 and the Milwaukee Mile double-header that follows.
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