Sergio Perez raised his hands to his head as his car slammed into the safety barrier in Monte Carlo last month. Several members of his team did likewise in the pit-lane garage, concerned for their driver's safety. Peter Sauber held his breath, for the accident provoked painful memories.
Sauber, owner of the racing team that bears his name, found himself in a similar position in 1994. His driver, Karl Wendlinger, an Austrian for whom Sauber had provided a seat the previous season, lost control of his car exiting the same tunnel at the Monaco Grand Prix and careered into the same barrier at the same Nouvelle Chicane.
The chicane has remained largely unchanged: the barrier was moved back after Jenson Button crashed into it in 2003, while Rosberg's accident shortly before Perez's two weeks ago saw a kerb removed. The track has also been relaid several times in a bid to smooth its surface.
"I thought of [Wendlinger's accident] twice, first with Nico Rosberg and then Perez," Sauber said. "When the accident happens, in that very second, you don't really have time to think. It is a very tragic event, so you really have to assess the situation and think 'what can you do, what can be done to help'."
Wendlinger's accident resulted in the 25 year old slipping into a coma and, although he eventually fully recovered from his injuries, the crash effectively ended his Formula One career.
Perez, in contrast, was fortunate enough to escape with concussion, a testament to the improved safety of the cars, Sauber said. However he will miss the Canadian Grand Prix after he felt unwell yesterday and the team decided he should not risk racing. Pedro de la Rosa will take his place.
Perez is the latest in a long line of young drivers whom Sauber has brought into the sport since entering Formula One in 1993. In 2002, he recruited Felipe Massa and, four years later, he promoted Robert Kubica from his position as a third driver, replacing the empty slot with a certain Sebastian Vettel, the reigning world champion.
Perez, 21, is paired with 24-year-old Kamui Kobayashi making the Switzerland-based outfit the youngest team in the sport. With the new season now more than a third complete, Sauber are pleased with the progress of their two fledgling drivers.
"At the beginning of the season we set out a clear target to have a reliable car, be competitive and regularly score points and up until now we have managed to achieve that," said Monisha Kaltenborn, the team's CEO. "Looking at the performance so far, I think you could say the drivers have met - or exceeded even - what we expected."
Sauber sit sixth in the constructors standings, while Kobayashi is 10th in the drivers championship, only five points behind Massa and ahead of Michael Schumacher, the seven-time champion.
"Of course, it is a great moment," Kobayashi said. "But I think these two have had a bit of bad luck so far, so you also have to see the standings in that respect. But yes, we have done great so far and collected good points."
The Japanese driver is also now seen as the team's leader on the asphalt and in Monte Carlo he achieved his best result to date, finishing fifth - a performance he dedicated to his hospitalised teammate.
"Kamui knew, having one year's experience, that he had a certain leadership role, which he has adapted very well to," Kaltenborn said.
"We are all impressed - teams, motorsport fans, media - he has exceeded the expectations and also been a major factor in the exciting races."
The primary source of this season's exciting races is undoubtedly the new regulations introduced by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. Processional racing seems to be a thing of the past.
While team owner Sauber believes it is too early to assess how innovations such as adjustable rear wings, energy-recovery systems and quick-wearing tyres are impacting the sport, he says the benchmark for action has already been set very high and simply maintaining rather than exceeding that level should be the season-long target.
"It is not so easy to get to the level of excitement that we were at last year, so if we can even just reach it, it would definitely be a positive," he said.
With drivers like Perez and Kobayashi developing into aggressive, impressive protagonists, the chances of such progress looks bright.