The safety car driver - Bernd Maylander
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In 2000 the FIA entrusted the task of driving the official Formula One safety car to Bernd Maylander, a successful touring car driver. Maylander’s experience means that during a safety-car period he knows how to keep the pace just right - slow enough to be safe, but quick enough to ensure the following cars do not overheat or lose excessive tyre pressure.
Maylander started his career in karting at the end of the 1980s. In the following years he progressed to Formula Ford, the Porsche Carrera Cup, the German DTM touring car series and the FIA GT Championship. And in 2000, he won the famed 24-hour Nurburgring race in a Porsche 911 GT3-R.
He is dedicated to motorsports, even in his private life: he met his wife at the race track and also used the Formula One weather service to forecast the weather on their wedding day! Who better then to give a unique insight into the safety car and the vital role it plays in a Formula One race?
Q: Tell us about the official Formula One safety car?
BM: It is the safety vehicle used in Formula One. In the 2007 season, it was a 507-HP Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG, but for 2008 we will have a brand new car.
Q: When are you called upon to go onto the track?
BM: According to the official regulations of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the car is deployed “if competitors or officials are in immediate physical danger but the circumstances are not such as to necessitate stopping the race”, for example after an accident or in severe rain showers.
Q: What’s the role of the official Formula One safety car?
BM: It takes up its position at the front of the field and leads the Formula One cars around the track at reduced speed until the dangerous situation has passed. All the cars, beginning with the race leader, must line up behind the safety car. Lapped cars that are positioned between two competitors involved in a duel are allowed to move to the back.
Q: Who decides when you should take to the track?
BM: The decision is made by the FIA Race Director, Charlie Whiting. He also
decides when the safety car phase is finished.
Q: How are the drivers informed about the safety car phase?
BM: The drivers are notified by the marshals who wave yellow flags together with a board showing the letters ‘SC’.
Q: How long does the safety car remain on the circuit?
BM: It will remain until the hazardous situation is under control and the FIA feel that it is safe to resume. The laps driven during the safety car phase count as normal race laps. If the specified number of laps is completed, a race can also come to an end behind the safety car.
Q: What influence does a safety car phase have on the race strategy?
BM: As a rule, the teams use a safety car phase for an unscheduled pit stop, because it involves a much smaller loss of time than if the field is racing at full speed. If a team manages to bring its driver into the pits at exactly the right time, it can result in a crucial advantage. Because the field is pressed up close together during a safety car phase, it also increases the excitement for the spectators.
Q: Since when has the safety car been used in Formula One?
BM: Its first introduction was in 1973 at the Canadian Grand Prix. However, the FIA laid down clear guidelines for the role of the safety car in 1992.
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