The infamous ‘green turtle’ comment from the Australian F1 Grand Prix might have many wondering how do the Aston Martin and Mercedes safety cars compare.

BOTH run Mercedes-AMG powerplants but when it comes to horsepower and lap times, one is much more of a star.

Since the start of last season, Formula 1’s safety car duties have been shared by Mercedes and Aston Martin; an agreement made possible because many of the British marque’s products are powered by AMG, a deal that goes back to 2013. The tie up has been hugely beneficial to Aston Martin, which back then was the only global luxury carmaker not attached to a larger manufacturer.

Fast forward to this year’s pace cars. Germany decided on a fresh choice, the latest Black Series GT coupe. The Brits meantime, continued with the Vantage, also a two-seater coupe, basically the same car they ran last year.

Both run a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 engine. The M 177. But not in the same tune.

Which means?

For fans, the most obvious contrast has been the alternative green and red colours at the front of the field. For the drivers, it’s all down to pace. And, in that respect, there’s just one winner.

The out-and-out performance difference between the cars was thrust into the spotlight at the Australian Grand Prix when drivers took aim at the speed of the Vantage, saying it was too slow. So tardy that current world champion Max Verstappen described the green machine as …. ‘a turtle.’

Fair call? The FIA was quick to respond. The world motorsport governing body said out-and-out performance was not a criteria of concern. For it, the key factor was in the cars helping reduce danger for track officials and drivers in the event of an accident.

That might be true. Yet, fact remains, the Aston is five seconds a lap off the pace set by the new GT even when driven about as hard as it could be. At Melbourne, drivers said the Aston was at edge of adhesion in corners.

All this has put the spotlight on the cars, which might be more beneficial for Mercedes-AMG that for Aston Martin. Both brands have developed road legal versions of their circuit cars for general sale. If either one of those ‘F1 special’ limited editions achieves reputation as a dud, who will want to buy it?

Anyway, a bit more about the cars.

Mercedes Benz

The world’s oldest car maker achieved a contract to become F1's official safety car partner in 1997 and takes this job very seriously, not least for 2022: The safety and medical cars you see are the most powerful versions there have ever been.

The safety car, the one that leads the F1 field when it regroups, is a slightly modified version of the track version of the production model.

Changes have been made for practical purposes. For aerodynamic reasons, the flashing lights are integrated into the car rather than as a bar on top. Other lights to alert drivers as to the car’s status of the Safety Car are integrated into the windscreen and within the rear spoiler. It also has on-board cameras.

But on the technical front, it is pretty much as the track model. Powered by a 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo, its aero, weight and centre of gravity were specially developed for the circuit rather than the roads.

It boasts 537kW, with some lightweight engineering and active aerodynamics that can change the profile of both the front splitter and the rear wing to reduce drag on the straights and deliver more downforce in the corners.

The track version accelerates from 0-100kmh in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 325kmh.

In respect to the aero package, it’s estimated that at 200kmh it produces 249kg downforce, which elevates to 400kg at 250kmh.

Aston Martin

The Vantage safety car is technically upgraded from the original road-going version of the sports car. Last year it was released as a bespoke F1 model.

The engine pumps out 394kW – which is 18kW more than the basic road going car. The car weighs 1570kg, so 50kg more than the Mercedes.

Aston Martin cites an acceleration figure of 0-100kmh in 3.5 seconds. With an added front splitter and vaned grille, the Vantage creates 155.6kg of downforce at 200kmh, which is 60kg more than the production car creates at the same speed. Top speed is 313kmh.

The Vantage also features upgraded suspension, steering and dampers, as well as bracing modifications to help with front structural stiffness.

It features its flashing light panel in the more traditional position on top of the roof.

Aston and Mercedes-AMG also take turns provisioning a medical car, which also has a critical role. It follows the field for the first lap, ensuring doctors can be at the scene as fast as possible in the event of an accident. These are also hot rods.

For this duty, Mercedes-AMG provisions a GT 63 S 4MATIC Plus. They cite the engine’s output at 470kW, say it’s hit 100kmh from a standing start in 3.2 seconds and top out at 315kmh. Aston’s car in the same role is a DBX sports utility, with a power output of 404kW which launches it from 0-10kkmh in 4.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 291kmh. Way faster than your average ambulance.

The safety car made its first appearance in a Formula 1 race back in 1973, but it wasn't until the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1993 that it was officially introduced by the sport.

Between 1993-96, individual race organisers were responsible for supplying safety cars, leading to some strange choices. However, this practice ended in 1997 when F1 handed Mercedes a contract to become F1's official safety car partner - and the German manufacturer continues to supply safety cars to the series till date.

Exotics including Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 911 have had a turn, but so too have very slightly sporty versions of ordinary road cars, one example being the Fiat Tempra 16v that served duty at the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Anyway, back to the question that might be in your mind: Which of the two current cars is better?

The one man who can make that judgement is the only bloke who gets to drive them all. Berndt Maylander (above) is a German former racer who has been driving the pace car since 2000.

When Mercedes-AMG put out a press bulletin about its latest cars, it quoted Maylander as saying he could not believe how much of a step-forward the 2022 safety car was over its predecessor.

“I’m simply blown away by how close it is to a thoroughbred race car,” he said.

“It really is a major step compared to last year’s GT R – which was already at an extremely high level.

“To have a workplace like this in the name of safety is a dream come true.”

As for the Aston Martin? There seems to be nothing on record.