Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium: Cricket is not alone in scraping the moral barrel. Ethical controversies are a persistent feature of Formula One.
Next week Ferrari go before the authorities to answer for their actions at the German Grand Prix, where they broke the rules over team orders, orchestrating a fixed result by instructing Felipe Massa to allow Fernando Alonso to pass for victory.
Red Bull's Mark Webber stoked the team orders' debate by suggesting that the time for putting all the team's eggs into one basket, his, cannot be far away following his second place in the Belgian Grand Prix, which put 28 points between him and team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
Once again Vettel, labelled the "crash kid" by McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, let his enthusiasm get the better of him, braking late coming out of Blanchimont into the Bus Stop chicane and taking Jenson Button clean out of the race as well as himself out of the points.
Should Vettel decide, without prompting from the pit wall, to give way to Webber in the coming races — and there is nil chance of that yet, Mark — then no rule is infringed.
Preternatural talent
There is, however, a third way, as demonstrated by Lewis Hamilton, who offered further evidence of his preternatural talent with a first victory on this hallowed circuit.
Yes, Button left the action through no fault of his own in a rain-enhanced romp, cancelling Hamilton's DNF last time out in Hungary.
But Hamilton's return to the top of the leaderboard is not sufficiently explained by freak outcomes.
Red Bull have taken pole position in 12 of 13 races. Hamilton has harried and chased his rivals to the brink of insanity in a car demonstrably inferior.
His flying lap to put his McLaren on the front row for this race was a staggering piece of work on a damp track.
Hamilton was the only driver to improve his time in worsening conditions, a feat that grew in significance and accomplishment in the absence of a further opportunity.
"We are still not as quick as these guys, but when we are close we maximise," observed Hamilton in that casual manner characteristic of champions.
Much of Michael Schumacher's genius was illustrated in those moments when a rapid lap was suddenly demanded from the pit wall. Schumi would squeeze effortlessly the fractions required to make the difference. Hamilton was millimetres from disaster going wide through the gravel at a sodden turn eight.
Hamilton said the hand of God steered him to safety.
Gossamer touch
Hamilton survived by dint of his gossamer touch and exquisite judgment.
Greatness is measured in fractions. Hamilton's win ensured that he resumed the lead in the drivers' championship by three points from Webber.
It is Monza's Parco Royal next, another regal circuit awaiting conquest by this king among drivers.
