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.

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.

Check out the full weekend schedule including start times and TV channels here.

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