Medical Car

A Medical Car is a specially equipped vehicle that stands ready at motorsport events to provide immediate emergency medical care to drivers and others involved in accidents during races, practice sessions, and qualifying rounds.

Think of the Medical Car as the fastest ambulance in the world. Unlike regular ambulances that respond to emergencies on public roads, this vehicle operates on race circuits where speeds can exceed 200 miles per hour. The car must be fast enough to reach any point on the track within seconds while carrying trained medical professionals and life-saving equipment.

The Medical Car serves a critical safety function in motorsport. When an accident occurs during a race, every second counts. The vehicle's primary job is to get doctors and emergency medical technicians to injured drivers as quickly as possible. The medical team can then stabilize the patient right there at the accident scene before transporting them to the circuit's medical center or a nearby hospital.

In Formula 1 racing, the Medical Car follows directly behind the racing pack during the first lap of every race. This positioning isn't random—the opening lap is statistically the most dangerous time in any race, as twenty cars jostle for position at high speeds. By following closely, the medical response vehicle can reach any first-lap incident almost immediately.

Throughout the rest of the race, the Medical Car remains on standby in a designated area near the track. The vehicle maintains constant radio communication with race control, ready to deploy the moment an incident occurs. This same protocol applies during practice and qualifying sessions, ensuring medical coverage whenever cars are on track.

These vehicles aren't ordinary cars. They're typically high-performance sports sedans or SUVs capable of accelerating quickly and handling the demanding corners of a race circuit. Recent Formula 1 Medical Cars have included models like the Aston Martin DBX707 and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S. The car needs four doors for easy access and a spacious interior to accommodate the medical team and their equipment.

Inside, the Medical Car carries an impressive array of emergency equipment including defibrillators, oxygen supplies, trauma packs, burn dressings, fire extinguishers, and various medications. The vehicle essentially functions as a mobile emergency room, equipped to handle everything from minor injuries to life-threatening trauma.

The Medical Car crew typically includes three people: a professional driver who knows the circuit intimately, the series' chief medical officer, and a local doctor familiar with nearby hospital facilities. In Formula 1, Dr. Ian Roberts serves as the FIA Medical Delegate and has been a fixture in the Medical Car for years, responding to countless incidents throughout his career.

Beyond emergency response, medical response vehicles sometimes transport officials around the circuit, carry additional safety personnel to incident scenes, or even give rides to drivers whose cars have broken down far from the pits. However, their primary mission remains unchanged: saving lives when motorsport's inherent dangers result in accidents.