During the safety car period, the race cars have to be slowed down to a speed where their components are under severe stress. This is because, a Formula1 Race Car is a finely tuned hyper-sports machine built to extremely tight tolerances. While performing at the best under the optimal temperature range; outside it, they are left vulnerable to over-heating, tire-cooling, brake inefficiencies, etc. On the other hand, the safety car is literally moving along at max speed. Such are the opposite perspectives of the Race track and on the Road. Thus, any car aspiring for the safety car slot in Formula1 has to be supremely exceptional in all aspects.
The engineering brilliance of the production SLS AMG has warmed the hearts of every Mercedes connoisseur and Formula 1 fans the world over.Featuring the same power-train package as the production car, the SLS AMG acting as the Safety Car 2010 ended up covering a distance of 88 laps, equivalent to a distance longer than a Formula 1 Race! The exceptional technology package for the super sports car ensured perfect driving dynamics and meant that no further technical modifications or lightweight-design measures were necessary. The sole exception was the all-new rear silencer, which allowed the high-revving AMG V8 naturally aspirated engine to breathe more easily and offered Formula-1 fans an even more emotionally charged sound experience.
While the performance measures were unchanged from the commercially available car, there were other changes made, which are a pre-requisite for an exceptional Formula 1 Safety Car. The two centrally positioned green lights in the aerodynamically optimized light bar illuminated when the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG F1 Safety Car joined the field and needed to overtake all the racing cars in front of it. Once the SLS AMG assumed the leading position, the outer orange flashing lights were switched on to signal to the Formula-1 drivers that no overtaking whatsoever is allowed. The white stroboscopic lights in the headlamps and tail lights perform a general signalling function in that they always flash whilst the safety car was deployed. A special number plate at the rear, with "Safety Car" lettering and 700 LEDs, provided additional safety in darkness or wet weather. A reversing camera was integrated to the left of the number plate, allowing those in the cockpit of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG F1 Safety Car to keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind via monitor.
Two central monitors in the SLS AMG cockpit were used to monitor the progress of the race. To the left and right of the lower monitor were the controls for the radio system, which allowed the driver and co-driver to communicate with Race Control as well as with each other. A second interior mirror allowed the co-driver to keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind. Meanwhile, the "Marshalling System" was integrated in the central display on the instrument cluster and in the lid of the glove compartment: here the driver and co-driver could see exactly the same signals as the Formula-1 drivers in their cockpits. For instance, the various LEDs indicate when yellow or green flags are being waved. LEDs indicating the status of the roof light bar, along with an on-board camera angled towards the driver are mounted at the front end of the dashboard.
