5 times an F1 race finished behind a safety car

Safety cars have become an important part of F1 races. Last year, it was given a new meaning when a rule change turned around the championship for a young 24-year-old Red Bull driver. Since then, safety cars have made history, and let's just say their arrival on the tracks takes us all back to that one moment.

Before we go ahead, let us explain the reasons for deploying a safety car. These are a special series of cars, usually a Mercedes or an Aston Martin, that are deployed to slow down the race and bring it back in order during a crash or some other problem. All cars should follow the lead of a safety car, with the race only resuming when it is deemed fit. Safety cars prevent unnecessary waste of time and are only a temporary call in the race.

The 2022 F1 Italian GP also saw the recurrence of a safety car, but these were rather tricky situations, and ultimately cost Charles Leclerc an F1 home win. Following the rules because these were the final laps, however, resulted in this race ending under a safety car, which rarely happens in the sport. Due to its rarity, let's find out what the other times are when a race ended under a safety car.

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#1 When F1's "Wall of Champions" was inaugurated

The 1999 F1 Canadian GP saw Michael Schumacher beat out Mika Hakkinen for pole position in the race. The start of the race itself was dramatic, with Jarno Trulli spinning into Rubens Barrichello and Jean Alesi resulting in the first safety car being brought out.

Soon enough, however, Jordan's Damon Hill slapped into the Turn 13 wall, escaping any injury and running across the circuit. On Lap 30, Schumacher himself collided with the wall, ending his race right there. Jacques Villeneuve then also added himself to the list, hitting the same wall and giving it the name "Wall of Champions".

Further on Lap 66, Heinz-Harald Frentzen had a brake failure and crashed. The safety car was brought out to pick up then-leader Hakkinen and finish the race. Notably, it was the first F1 race ever to finish under a safety car.

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#2 When 2020 F1 Bahrain GP's ending also became dramatic

The 2020 F1 Bahrain GP will always remain a horrifying memory in the fraternity's mind owing to Romain Grosjean's blood-curdling Lap 1 incident that almost cost him his life. It, however, did not end there.

Racing Point's Lance Stroll later flipped his car after a collision but was rescued safely almost immediately. Later on, teammate Sergio Perez's car was also on fire due to overheating and his race was essentially over. Perez, who was up into podium places by then, lost an almost-confirmed P3 with just three laps to go.

Lewis Hamilton then won the race under a safety car, making it another one of its kind.

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#3 When Sebastian Vettel became the F1 world champion

It was a tense situation with the Red Bull camp scared beyond the margins as Sebastian Vettel came close to winning his third title. His main rival that season was Fernando Alonso and the title race would come down to its finale in the 2012 F1 Brazilian GP.

The race was a nail-biter as Vettel spun around on Lap 1 itself, dropping several places despite starting fourth. Luckily enough, the German later on claimed a much-needed sixth-place finish and won the championship ahead of Alonso.

The GP, though, ended under safety car conditions. The weather that day had sent many for a spin already. Then, Force India's Paul Di Resta crashed on the penultimate lap (Lap 70) as he tried surviving the tricky wet track conditions while it rained.

Jenson Button, who was in the lead by then, was picked up by the safety car as he saw the checkered flag. Vettel's win, though, was pretty much solidified by that moment as he had already gained places.

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#4 When the 2009 F1 Italian GP saw a last lap chaos

Back then, this was a tense race for championship leader Jenson Button, who just had to make it to the podium somehow if he was to maintain his lead. This is because teammate Rubens Barrichello had begun to pose a big threat to his lead.

By the last lap of the race, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was trying his very best to catch the second-placed Button when he suddenly crashed out of the race. The safety car was then brought out, ending Brawn F1's race in a 1-2 with the 1 going to Barrichello. Button, however, was also on the podium, redeeming himself to win the title. A similar situation would happen in the 2022 F1 Italian GP, tying these two incidents shockingly close.

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#5 When Max Verstappen had a safety car to thank

This was a messy situation with only a few laps to go to be able to decide the race winner. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc managed to cut down the gap to a few seconds despite Red Bull's superior pace, carrying Max Verstappen further ahead and at number 1.

As Verstappen led, however, another McLaren driver (Daniel Ricciardo) stopped between the two Lesmo corners to bring out a safety car. Ideally, the race should've been red-flagged, but race control took one lap to make that decision, and the safety car wasn't brought out for the longest time to pick up leader Verstappen.

By the time it did, Leclerc couldn't overtake or take the lead, much to the Tifosi's dissatisfaction. The race then ended under similar conditions to the 2009 F1 Italian GP, with Verstappen winning this time.

So, these were some cases where the safety car ended the race at crucial moments. Though race control's decision-making dwindles at times, the safety car becomes the center of all attention in those moments.