An Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car, used in Formula 1, was involved in a crash during preparations for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Experienced racer Bernd Maylander was behind the wheel when the incident occurred.

Dramatic footage reveals that as the car approached the high-speed Parabolica corner at the end of the back straight, it began to snake. Maylander quickly executed a Scandinavian Flick to initiate a slide, but the car ultimately spun through the gravel trap and collided with the crash barriers at high speed.

Aston Martin has stated they are investigating the incident but has yet to provide an official explanation. There are suggestions that brake failure might have been a factor, as the car’s nose did not dip as expected when approaching the corner, indicating Maylander might have been unable to slow down properly. In response, he may have attempted the slide to reduce speed before the inevitable impact with the barriers.

Fortunately, both Maylander and his passenger emerged from the crash unharmed. Aston Martin confirmed, “There was an on-track incident with the FIA Safety Car today at Monza. Aston Martin is looking into the cause, but both the driver and passenger are fine. An additional Safety Car is available, and the incident will not affect the weekend’s event.”

The Aston Martin Vantage, which shares Safety Car duties with the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, has been updated for 2024. The new model features a twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing an additional 153 hp and 115 Nm of torque. Prior to this, several F1 drivers had criticized the older Vantage for being too slow compared to the more track-focused Mercedes-AMG model.