He is credited with helping save the lives of many drivers, including: Gerhard Berger, Martin Donnelly, Érik Comas, Rubens Barrichello, Karl Wendlinger, and Mika Häkkinen.
[5] He returned to the UK in 1958 to specialise in neurosurgery at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and it was in 1961 when he took up his first motorsport event in a medical capacity at a kart race at the Brands Hatch circuit.
[8] He returned to England in 1970 to act as head of neurosurgery at the London Hospital, and was invited to join the RAC medical panel the same year.
Fellow drivers Clay Regazzoni, Patrick Depailler and James Hunt pulled him from the wreckage but by the time Watkins arrived at the scene, Italian police had formed a human wall to prevent people from entering the area.
Watkins was initially stopped from assisting with the treatment and there was a long delay of approximately 18 minutes before an ambulance arrived to take Peterson to hospital, where he died the following day.
[12] The organisers at Hockenheim had denied Watkins access to race control and Ecclestone threatened to stand in front of the grid and order the drivers out of their cars.
In 1982, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Watkins went with the medical car driven by Roland Bruynseraede as it headed to the scene of Gilles Villeneuve's serious accident and placed a tube into his windpipe for ventilation with his heart in normal condition.
[16] In 1986, Watkins had the responsibility for caring for Frank Williams who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car crash on a public road.
Despite it being only the second race of the season, Piquet tried to persuade officials to allow him to compete knowing any lost points could lose him the championship (which he ultimately won).
[20] At the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Watkins had to attend to his close personal friend, three-time champion Ayrton Senna, following the accident which claimed his life.
He reported that based on what he ascertained on arriving at the scene, that there was no chance Senna could have been saved, due to the graveness of the head injury he had suffered.
[21] Watkins later argued that ephedrine had no effect on a driver's ability and that Formula One should not use exactly the same list as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in any case.
[22] At the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, Mika Häkkinen crashed heavily during the Friday qualifying session at the Brewery Bend at high-speed due to a puncture having been sustained by one of his tyres.
[23] Two volunteer doctors, Jereme Cockings and Steve Lewis, arrived at the scene in 15 seconds and performed an emergency tracheotomy.
[28] Watkins acted in the defence for David Vissenga in an inquiry into practices into services of the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, where marshal Graham Beverige died after being struck by a wheel from Jacques Villeneuve's car in the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.
[29] In 2002, Watkins was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for recognition of his work in improving the safety of Grand Prix racing.
[33] Following his departure, Mosley remarked that "Professor Watkins has made a unique contribution to improving the standards of safety and medical intervention throughout motor sport.
[38] Since 1998, each year the Motorsport Safety Fund organises the Watkins Lecture, which takes place at the Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
These lectures usually focus on motorsport safety related matters, and have been delivered by guest speakers such as Max Mosley and Ross Brawn.
[39] Watkins wrote or co-authored a number of books on racing safety, including Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One.
[47] At the Singapore Grand Prix, a one-minute silence was held in his honour and a book of remembrance was available for people to sign their condolences during the weekend.
[50] A new building bearing Watkins' name was officially opened by Anne, Princess Royal at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Fazakerley, Liverpool on 15 December 2015.