Here is an example of awarenees.
"Eight days after Nino Farina's victory in the inaugural World Championship race at Silverstone, Juan Manuel Fangio, who was to dominate the sport for the next seven years, eased to a win in a race marred by a first-lap pile-up.
Fangio qualified on pole and that proved vital as he was able to avoid the carnage behind him, caused when Farina skidded on the part of the road soaked by the sea at Tabac Corner after a manic start. In the resulting melee, eight others were put out and by the end of the second lap only nine of the 19 starters remained and the tracked was soaked in spilt fuel.
Only Fangio and Luigi Villoresi escaped the chaos, but as Fangio came round again he became aware of yellow flags waving. "The spectators … were not looking at me leading the race but the other way," he said, and instinctively raised his hand to warn drivers behind him of the danger.
Arriving on the scene, Fangio found the track blocked and fuel spilling everywhere along with marshals desperately trying to clear the area. He leant out and gently nudged one of the crashed cars out of the way and continued. Villoresi and Alberto Ascari followed but none came close to catching Fangio who finished a lap ahead of Ascari."
The fact that a pilot, concentrated on doing the fastest lap possible on a GP car, was able to notice what the spectators were doing is one of the best examples of awareness I can find.
Edit. But the truth is. Fangio was outstanding.