The incredible pace of F1® development has seen Mercedes-Benz constantly push the boundaries of production car performance. There have been several significant milestones that have allowed Bernd to successfully lead a pack of F1® cars – now several seconds faster on each lap than they were 30 years ago.

“I have to really push the car nearly to the limit,” he explains. “It’s not a qualifying lap, so it’s always two or three per cent inside this limit. I have to get prepared not just for one lap but maybe five, 10, 15 laps. You never know what happens.”

Following the CL 55, a new model was introduced nearly every two years, but big steps were taken with the supercharged Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG (2001–02), the super-focused CLK 63 AMG (2006–07) and the SLS AMG (2010–12).

The evolution of the Official F1® Safety Car

Since 2015, Bernd has driven the Mercedes-AMG GT S, the Mercedes-AMG GT R and the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series – one of the fastest cars on Germany’s famous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Since 2021, in his role as Official FIA F1® Safety Car Driver, he has completed his laps not only in cars bearing the three-pointed star, but also in an Aston Martin Vantage, which is used alternately with the Mercedes-AMG.

“Every time a new car gets introduced, I think that must be it! But then the engineers keep developing for the next generation," Bernd says. "The CLK 63 was an incredible car in the Black Series edition. The SLS was the first car fully developed by AMG. The GT Black Series we have now is a fantastic track car. Overall through the years there have been some outstanding cars.

“The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is being approved for the road, but with the aero and power package, the transaxle and traction control, it's designed especially for high-speed use on a racetrack.”

Equally substantial changes have taken place in terms of the monitoring equipment available to Bernd and his co-driver, Richard Darker. Twenty-five years ago, there was a single television set sitting outside the car, whereas now there are two monitors inside the car, as well as GPS mapping and information about the g-forces a driver would experience in the event of an accident.

Richard is a crucial piece of the puzzle. “He’s like the co-pilot in an aeroplane,” says Bernd. “It’s always better to have someone next to you if you are on the track, so four eyes and ears see and hear more. He is among others responsible for the lights and the radio system.”

Despite being paid to drive incredible cars at top speed around the best racetracks in the world, Bernd says he prefers a quiet weekend: "For me, the best races are those without a Safety Car, because that means nothing dangerous has happened on track.”

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