Andrew McLarneyMotoGP Reporter
Andrew McLarney is an accredited MotoGP reporter with four years experience as a professional writer across the sports and video game industries. His experience as a K1 Premier League competitor evolved into a fascination with all forms of combat sport and eventually motorsport — with MotoGP becoming his primary focus. On top of that he is also an avid follower of MXGP and AMA Supercross/Motocross.
The 2026 MotoGP USA Grand Prix is scheduled to take place this weekend and safety the car driver will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's blunder when he crashed into the barriers before the race had even begun.
It is common to see the safety car out on track ahead of the race to assess conditions, particularly in the wet, but much less so to see one veer off and plunge head-first into a metal barrier.
That's exactly what happened in Austin one year ago, though fortunately the weather conditions for the MotoGP USA Grand Prix this weekend look much drier.
In the extradordinary clip taken by track-side fans, the BMW M5 driven can be see taking the tricky Turn 14 section in wet conditions. While it doesn't appear to be going an abnormal speed, the car seems to slip on the track surface and glide helplessly into the wall, causing a reaction of disbelief from the attending fans.
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The battered wreck of the vehicle was certainly a sad sight to behold, and highly unexpected for those who came to see a MotoGP race.
Fortunately, the driver was uninjured by the impact and likely only suffered a mild embarrassment as a result. The incident just goes to show that even safety car drivers put themselves at high risk to ensure Grand Prix circuits are fit for racing.
In typical MotoGP fashion, the incident did little to dampen the mood of the afternoon and the race went ahead nonetheless with Marc Marquez also slipping and crashing out of the lead - which handed the victory to Pecco Bagnaia.
MotoGP 2026 USA Grand Prix: Full schedule, start times & where to watch
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MotoGP returns to the iconic Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas this weekend as Marc Marquez looks to secure his first win of the season and catch up to Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.
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