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 in the incident, although the cause 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 of the crash, particularly the car's behavior under braking, have sparked widespread speculation online, with many theorizing that a mechanical issue, rather than driver error, might have been responsible. Some speculate that the brakes may have overheated, leading Maylander to deliberately initiate a slide to decelerate. The FIA released a statement confirming the incident, noting that Aston Martin is investigating the cause and assuring that both the driver and passenger are unharmed. An additional safety car is on site, and the incident will not affect the upcoming race weekend.
This is not the first time safety cars have been at the center of dramatic incidents. During the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, Nick Heidfeld collided with the door of the stationary Mercedes medical car just as driver Alex Ribeiro was about to exit, narrowly escaping serious injury. Similarly, at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, Ribeiro crashed the medical car into barriers during a test run on Saturday.
