Rowan Atkinson crashes F1

| 5 Aug 2011

Comedian and television celebrity Rowan Atkinson escaped with minor injuries after crashing his McLaren F1 supercar last night.

Atkinson - famous for his role as the hapless, Mini-driving Mr Bean in his TV series of the same name - was behind the wheel of his McLaren when it hit a tree and then a lamp post near Peterborough last night (photo below taken by a passing motorist).

The TV star was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury that isn't life threatening but his F1 caught fire with the resulting blaze extinguished by fire services some 45 minutes later.

The prang occurred in Haddon at 7:30pm last night after Atkinson, a noted classic car enthusiast and collector, lost control of the 238mph supercar on the A605. 

He was taken by ambulance Peterborough District Hospital in Cambridgeshire and is expected to be discharged later today.