- Online speculation points towards a braking issue, but Aston Martin is still investigating the crash.
- Bernd Maylander appears to have intentionally spun the car to scrub off speed.
- Fortunately, the German driver and his passenger were uninjured.
One of the Aston Martin Vantage Safety Cars used in Formula 1 was crashed by experienced racer Bernd Maylander in preparation for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Dramatic video of the crash shows that at the end of the back straight, the car began to snake slightly while heading toward the high-speed Parabolica corner. Moments later, Maylander can be seen quickly initiating a Scandinavian Flick, forcing the Aston Martin into a slide. It then spins through the gravel trap before slamming into the crash barriers at high speed.
Read: Will The New Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car Keep F1 Drivers Happy?
Aston Martin says it is investigating the crash but has not yet provided an official explanation as to what happened.
Some have suggested the car’s brakes may have failed. As the nose of the car remained steady in the approach to the corner rather than diving down, it does appear as though Maylander was unable to slow for the corner. He may have then decided to initiate the slide in a bid to wipe off some speed, knowing full well that he was going to smash into the barriers regardless.
Fortunately, both Maylander and his passenger climbed out of the car without injuries.
“There was an on-track incident with the FIA Safety Car today at Monza,” Aston Martin said in a statement. “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.”
The Aston Martin Vantage shares F1 Safety Car duties with the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Like the road-going Vantage, the Safety Car was updated for 2024, and its twin-turbocharged V8 now churns out an extra 153 hp and 85 lb-ft (115 Nm) of torque. Several F1 drivers had complained about the pre-facelift Vantage being too slow, particularly when compared to the track-focused Mercedes-AMG.
