10 Examples Of Safety Cars Wreaking Racing Havoc

The general purpose of a safety car is to keep everything and everyone, well, safe. Sometimes though, through absent-mindedness, poor timing, or just plain bad luck, these vehicles create some of the most bizarre and crazy incidents ever seen in motorsport. Here's our round-up of the most un-safe safety car moments.

1. Sachsenring Smash

If you crash a lightweight single-seater race car into a hefty VW Toureg, the latter is always going to come off better. Want some proof? Check out this unfortunate prang from an ADAC Formula Masters race from last year.

2. Watch Out Taki!

This was probably the defining moment of Taki Inoue's brief and shockingly bad career. After breaking down at the 1995 Hungarian Grand Prix, Taki became a bit impatient with the marshals' inaction as his Footwork F1 car started to burn. He decided to grab a fire extinguisher and sort it himself, but didn't notice the fast approaching safety car...

3. Heidfeld vs Merc Door

When Nick Heidfeld came round turn 2 during a warm up for the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, he probably didn't expect there to be a crashed Arrows and a bloody great medical car taking up half the track. It's a good job driver Alex Ribeiro didn't jump straight out of the Mercedes, otherwise he'd have been skewered by Heidfeld's Sauber.

4. Franz Engstler's Prang in Pau

While leading this World Touring Car Championship race at Pau in 2009, Franz Engstler's shot at victory came crashing to a halt. A hefty tangle with the safety car - that wasn't even supposed to be on track at the time - left Engstler's BMW without its front wheels attached.

5. Bad Medicine

Shane Van Gisbergen's V8 Supercars race was already over when this bizarre incident happened at the 2012 Sydney Telstra 500. With a broken steering rack, Shane's car was a little difficult to keep pressed in a straight line, and out of the way of the Porsche Panamera medical car.

6. Paul Ricard Pile-Up

The lights had gone green and the race was underway at this Le Mans Series round in 2011. Only problem was, the safety car was still on track. The prototype cars up front caught up and slammed the anchors on, causing a pile-up amongst the GT cars further back.

7. Tangle In Texas

Coming onto the track because of a separate crash, the pace car at this Indy Racing Lights round in Texas created a whole new problem.

8. A Bad Day To Be A Photographer

When the pace car driver for the 1971 Indy 500 pulled into the pits, he searched in vain for the braking reference point he'd stuck there earlier. Unfortunately, some idiot had moved it. By the time he'd realised and stood on the brakes, it was too late for the Dodge Challenger's crummy drums to stop the car before the photographers' stand.

9. Wurz's Superior Stopping Power

Alexander Wurz learned an important lesson at this German Formula 3 race in 1995: if you brake test a big Jeep Cherokee with an F3 car, you're gonna have a bad time.

10. A Very Public Joyride

Simply stealing a car wasn't enough for this guy to get some kicks. He decided to make off with the Talladega Speedway pace car and put on a bit of a show. He managed two laps before being collared by the local law enforcement.