Insane Irony: Safety Car Crashes Ahead Of Italian Grand Prix

There have been many ironic moments in sports, but I don't know that I've seen one quite like the Formula 1 safety car flying off the track and into the tire barrier like it did on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Now, the safety car is there to — obviously — help drivers safely navigate dangerous conditions, whether that involves weather, debris, or an entire car stranded on the track.

While that seems simple, there's quite a bit that goes into it so that it does its job right and so everyone stays safe.

So, one of the first parts of an F1 weekend involves safety car driver Bernd Maylander hitting the track and performing some safety checks and hot laps to make sure that everything is in order for F1, F2, F3, and Formula Academy cars to hit the track in the days that follow.

This is what Maylander was doing at Monza, which is known as the "Temple of Speed" thanks to it being home to the highest average speed of any circuit in F1. 

But as Maylander the circuit's final and most well-known corner — Curva Parabolica — he lost the rear of the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition and spun off the track, through the grave, and hard into the tires.

Oops.

No word on the cause of the accident, though that little wiggle before the spin as he started braking was very strange. Given Maylander's experience behind the wheel, you've got to think there was some kind of mechanical issue.

The F1 safety car found the barrier while gearing up for the Italian Grand Prix weekend. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Fortunately, Maylander and an unnamed passenger in the car at the time were unhurt physically. I'm sure there were some bruised egos.

However, that's a tricky corner and Charles Leclerc went off at a similar spot during the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, only his crash was at a much higher speed.

I'm sure they'll get the dents hammered out of the safety car's bodywork before the first on-track sessions begin on Friday morning.