The Aston Martin Vantage, which serves as the Formula 1 safety car, was involved in a crash on Thursday during pre-race testing at Monza. Fortunately, neither the driver nor the passenger sustained injuries, although the exact cause of the accident remains uncertain. Video footage suggests that safety car driver Bernd Maylander lost control while navigating the Parabolica corner—a high-speed bend on the track. The vehicle veered off the road at a high velocity, spinning before colliding with the barriers.
The unusual circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the car's behavior under braking, have sparked widespread speculation online, with some suggesting a mechanical issue rather than driver error as the cause. There are theories that the brakes may have overheated, and that Maylander might have deliberately initiated a slide to decelerate the car. The FIA issued a statement regarding the incident, saying, "There was an on-track incident with the FIA Safety Car today at Monza. Aston Martin is investigating the cause but can confirm both driver and passenger are fine. There is an additional Safety Car at the circuit and it will not impact the weekend's event."
This is not the first time safety cars have been involved in dramatic incidents. During the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, Nick Heidfeld crashed into the door of the stationary Mercedes medical car just as driver Alex Ribeiro was about to exit, narrowly escaping serious injury. Additionally, at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, Ribeiro crashed the medical car into the barriers during a test run on Saturday.
