▁Grand ▁Prix ▁week ends , ▁he ▁remained ▁in ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁neu ros ur geon ▁in ▁London . ▁His ▁first ▁day ▁as ▁the ▁Saf ety ▁and ▁Medical ▁De legate , ▁was ▁at ▁Br ands ▁H atch ▁to ▁introduce ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁drivers . ▁Wat kins ▁did ▁not ▁attend ▁private ▁test ▁day ▁sessions ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁sessions ▁held ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁his ▁appointment ▁was ▁met ▁with ▁host ility ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁racing ▁circ uits , ▁who ▁saw ▁his ▁appointment ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁monitoring ▁their ▁performance . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁medical ▁facilities ▁would ▁sometimes ▁consist ▁of ▁nothing ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁tent . ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁Italian ▁Grand ▁Prix , ▁Ron nie ▁Pet erson ▁crash ed ▁heavily ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁lap , ▁with ▁the ▁car ▁catch ing ▁fire . ▁Fellow ▁drivers ▁Clay ▁Reg azz oni , ▁Patrick ▁De pa iller ▁and ▁James ▁H unt ▁pulled ▁him ▁from ▁the ▁w reck age ▁but ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁Wat kins ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁scene , ▁Italian ▁police ▁had ▁formed ▁a ▁human ▁wall ▁to ▁prevent ▁people ▁from ▁entering ▁the ▁area . ▁Wat kins ▁was ▁initially ▁stopped ▁from ▁assist ing ▁with ▁the ▁treatment ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁long ▁delay ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 1 8 ▁minutes ▁before ▁an ▁amb ul ance ▁arrived ▁to ▁take ▁Pet erson ▁to ▁hospital , ▁where ▁he ▁died ▁the ▁following ▁day . ▁Following ▁the ▁race , ▁Wat kins ▁demanded ▁that ▁E cc l estone ▁provide ▁better ▁safety ▁equipment ,