Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen car in the gravel trap after crashing out of the race during the Tuscany Formula One Grand Prix at the Mugello circuit in Scarperia e San Piero on September 13, 2020. / AFP / POOL / MIGUEL MEDINA
MUGELLO, Italy: The Tuscan Grand Prix was paused on the opening lap on Sunday when a safety car was deployed following a multiple collision.
The crash resulted in Max Verstappen of Red Bull flying off into the gravel after a tangle with several midfield runners.
He was taken out along with last weekend's Monza victor Pierre Gasly, the first Frenchman to win a Grand Prix since 1996.
Ferrari's departing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel was also involved in the collision and had to pit for repairs along with Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen.
The crash appeared to be caused by a collision between Gasly of Alpha Tauri and fellow-Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas while Carlos Sainz of McLaren also spun.
Valtteri Bottas took the lead ahead of his Mercedes team-mate and series leader Lewis Hamilton at the start while Verstappen seemed to be bogged down with a lack of power following a late pre-race problem with power-unit software problems that were repaired on the grid.
