Williams' Boutsen hoists the mainsail in Adelaide

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On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he successfully navigated his way through the treacherous waters of the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.

The Belgian survived the perils produced by the appalling weather that was so bad it enticed Alain Prost to call it a day after just one lap.

The rest of the field attempted to brave it out, but 13 of the 25 drivers crashed out of the race, including initial leader Ayrton Senna who rammed his McLaren into the back of Martin Brundle's Brabham.

Boutsen hoisted the mainsail and took command, but with cars spinning off left and right, the Aussie GP's race director eventually decided to bring everyone back to port eleven laps from the scheduled end.

Lotus' Nelson Piquet perhaps summed it up the best:

"This is a dangerous sport which does not need to be made more dangerous," said the Brazilian. "There is a difference between bravery and stupidity."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.