Luckily the reigning world champion walked away from the accident and, wisely, away from the event.

He had no plan to return.

That changed in 1966 – when he became the first rookie to win in 39 years.

It would be wrong to say that he blew everyone’s doors off – he qualified conservatively and ran a lonely race – but he was the right man in the right place at the right time.

The chance to drive a Lola-Ford entered by expansive Texas oil baron John Mecom Jr and prepared by twice-winning crew chief George Bignotti was too good to turn down. Particularly when Mecom agreed to pay him the same as the precocious Jackie Stewart.

“Graham knew already that I was making deals as good as anybody’s,” says Stewart with a chuckle. Theirs was a two-way street as Formula 1 team-mates at BRM.