Watch: F1 safety car crashes during lap before Italian Grand Prix

Bernd Maylander was completing safety car systems checks when crashing his Aston Martin at the Parabolica corner

Formula One’s safety car was involved in a bizarre accident at Monza on Thursday, crashing into the barriers at the final Parabolica corner.
As with every Grand Prix weekend, the safety car completes a series of systems checks by circulating around the track several times. Quick laps are also completed.
In an ironic twist, though, Bernd Maylander failed to complete his usual run, instead finding the tyre barriers during a high-speed lap.
The Aston Martin was left with significant damage to its front after the accident. Both Maylander and his passenger were able to escape the accident without it any injuries. The medical car picked up both and returned them the short journey to the pit lane.
A statement from the FIA said that the incident would not affect the running of the weekend because a spare safety car is available, presumably for occurrences such as this.
Here’s the video of the Safety Car crashing at Parabolicapic.twitter.com/w1JyPaEnCO
“There was an on-track incident with the FIA Safety Car today at Monza,” the statement said. “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.”
Since 2021 safety car duties have been switched between an Aston Martin Vantage and a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.
Accidents involving the safety car and medical cars are vanishingly rare, but have happened in the past. Perhaps the most dramatic was during practice for the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix when Nick Heidfeld crashed his Sauber into the open door of the medical car which was parked up to see to the Enrique Bernoldi, who had crashed shortly before.
Practice runs on Friday at Monza with Max Verstappen hoping to take his first win since the Spanish Grand Prix to extend his 70 point advantage over McLaren’s Lando Norris.