F1 fans shocked as safety car CRASHES ahead of Italian Grand Prix

F1 fans were left stunned by a shock safety car crash at Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

Formula 1 returns to Monza under slightly different circumstances compared to last year, with McLaren in pursuit of Red Bull for the title.

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Defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen will hope to secure a third straight victory at the iconic circuit on Sunday, but must contend with the threat of McLaren rival Lando Norris, who dominated last week's race in Zandvoort.

The pair are locked in a fight for the drivers' title, and with just nine races remaining, the pressure is ramping up.

Pre-race test goes wrong

Before the action gets underway during Friday's FP1, organisers at the track have been busy making last-minute preparations to ensure the event runs smoothly.

However, an incident on Thursday afternoon during the safety car test run put a temporary halt to proceedings.

While completing his mandatory system checks and fast laps to make sure everything is in order, safety car driver Bernd Maylander appeared to lose control of his Aston Martin at the Parabolica corner.

The vehicle skidded across the asphalt run-off area and and gravel trap before crashing into the tyre barriers at the edge of the track.

Fortunately, neither Maylander nor his accompanying passenger were injured, with both climbing out of the car shortly after the collision before returning to the pits in a medical vehicle.

Not something you see every day - the Safety Car just crashed at Parabolica during the high speed track test. Everyone out of the car and OK, but Maylander went spinning off at high speed #F1 #ItalianGP https://t.co/EiRERhJm7M

— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) August 29, 2024

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