1991 Spanish Grand Prix

As a venue we feared the worst, worried that, literally, it might have nothing; as a race, it had it all. The 1991 Spanish GP was one of those épreuves for which all the portents looked bad. It was being held on a new circuit, and as with all circuits, construction was running behind schedule. Towards completion date, the slightest rain shower would multiply delays. When they held a club race to inaugurate the Circuit de Catalunya two weeks before the GP, there were no telephones and there was no running water. Days before, that was finally provided in the form of dramatic rain storms.

Despite all that, the event came through on the day. Everything worked perfectly (even the phones!) and it was impossible to argue with a logic that had taken the race from the sherry wasteland of Jerez and transported it to within 50 kilometres of that thriving metropolis, Barcelona. No, it wasn't as breathtakingly spectacular a venue as the old Montjuich Park, now sadly foundering beneath a welter of pre-Olympics construction. It was, however, a deal more toothsome than Jerez. Over the weekend the estimates spoke of 70,000 paying punters, which made a crowd around 69,500 greater than anything the Spanish GP has seen for the last six years. It made a change not to be on nodding terms with everyone in the grandstand.

All the effort -- and it had been considerable -- was rewarded with a superb race that left the World Championship still open as the teams headed for the final races at Suzuka and Adelaide.