Zoom Close encounter at Turn Two in Barcelona

Formula One narrowly avoided a very nasty outcome at the start of the recent Spanish Grand Prix.

It was in the first corner melee at Barcelona that Sebastian Bourdais' Toro Rosso climbed over the top of the sister Ferrari-powered car driven by rookie teammate Sebastien Buemi.

"It was dangerous," the 20-year-old Buemi told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

"The other Toro Rosso flew past not less than ten centimetres from my helmet, and a bit of the car hit my right shoulder, which hurt briefly," he revealed.

The incident mirrored one in Australia in 2007, when Alex Wurz's head and hands nearly bore the brunt of David Coulthard's flying Red Bull.

In the wake of the Melbourne crash, additional side head protection was added to the open cockpits of today's F1 cars.

Buemi, meanwhile, clarified that his teammate Bourdais did not apologise for the near-miss.

"No, he said only that he didn't see anything," added Buemi.

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Source: GMM