Alex has already pointed out the black dots on a white jacket metaphor that Michael has used, but there are also others circulating that concern the incident: Flavio, for instance, said that Ferrari had taken all the other teams for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Willi Weber has later said that having a Spanish steward judge Schumacher’s incident was like asking the wolf how Red Riding Hood was (surely the other way around?). At the end of the day, when we get down to brass tacks, bite the bullet, and kick the bucket, metaphors (and especially the strange ones of fairytales) are the only way we can get close to understanding what happened: because what happened makes no sense at all.

Michael did not have to do it. That, surely, is his greatest defense. But, as I mentioned to Alex over some Salsiccia della griglia on Tuesday night, intent means nothing. We should have the same rule as professional golf, claims Richard Barnes, where regardless of if you have done something on purpose, you get punished. It happens sometimes in F1, but not all the time: if you speed in the pitlane you are punished; if you cross the white line you are punished; if you stall on the grid you are punished. Never does anyone question the intent of these actions. Is this how it should be throughout the sport?