Monaco is a difficult Grand Prix at the best of times, and it can be treacherous in the wet. The barriers are close at hand, there is no room for error. In the spring the weather on the French Riviera is usually very pleasant and that was certainly the case on Sunday, May 31, 1981, with the Principality bathed in sunshine. The bad news was that the start of the Monaco Grand Prix had to be delayed by an hour – because it was raining in the tunnel!

The problem was that there had been a fire in the kitchens of what was then called the Loews Hotel. The local fire brigade rushed to the scene and pumped hundreds of gallons of water into the kitchens. This found its way through the floors and there was “rain” in the tunnel.

You couldn’t make this stuff up…