Formula One Features — May 2009

A couple of weeks ago my mate Dan Knutson and I were reflecting on the delights of the Monaco GP. It is an utterly ridiculous race usually involving processions and no racing at all, but it is also the only circuit in the world where everyone can get close enough to an angry single-seater to remind ourselves why motor racing is such a viscerally wonderful sport.

These are momentous, historic times. No, I am not talking about Jenson Button, coming from the hell of earth car obscurity to world champion elect, BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Looking back over the 40 years that I've been writing about F1 racing, I have discovered that many of the really terrifying moments happened at Spanish GPs.