F1 star set to make 500th appearance at Australian GP - but he’s NOT on the 2026 grid

As F1 returns to our screens this weekend for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, one star of the sport will be taking to the track for a whopping 500th time in their career.

Albert Park Circuit will once again be the host of the first round of the F1 championship as a new era of the sport is ushered in thanks to the complete overhaul of the chassis and power unit regulations for 2026 and beyond.

But whilst some teams are concerned over what could go wrong across the 58-lap race (I'm looking at you Aston Martin) German driver Bernd Maylander is preparing to make his 500th appearance as the official FIA F1 safety car driver.

The F1 legend has been the official safety car driver since 2000, and is still going strong at 54 years of age as he prepares to pass the significant milestone of having made it to 500 grands prix in the role.

The German previously raced in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) during his own competitive racing career, finishing second in his class at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999.

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Who provides the F1 2026 safety car?

Maylander has previously piloted variations of both the Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes AMG GT Black Series as F1's safety car driver.

But ahead of the 2026 campaign, Aston Martin confirmed they would not be renewing their commitment to offer up the safety cars following the end of their deal at the end of the 2025 season.

After the British brand announced they would no longer be contributing their vehicles, Mercedes stepped in, with the AMG set to feature at every F1 race this season as both the safety car and medical car, should it be needed.

How long have Mercedes provided the F1 safety car?

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Mercedes' association with the F1 safety car, with a Mercedes first being used for the job at the 1996 French Grand Prix.

Despite a safety car being used throughout the 1970s and 80s at the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, it wasn’t until 1993 that a safety vehicle was mandated to appear at all races in F1.

For three years, race organisers were responsible for supplying the car and crew, but in 1996, Mercedes-Benz was granted the exclusive contract for supplying the official FIA F1 safety car.

A statement confirming Mercedes as the sole supplier of the F1 safety car moving forward read: "From the 2026 season onwards, the FIA F1 official cars will once again bear the star at all F1 events.

"In this way, we will continue to make an active contribution to safety in the premier class of motorsport.

"For Mercedes-AMG, F1 is not only a sporting platform, but also an environment in which the performance, reliability, and safety of our vehicles become visible under extreme conditions."

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