A magnanimous Felipe Massa showed the utmost dignity after being denied the Formula One world title by just 18 seconds. That was all that separated Massa from becoming Brazil's first world champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991, and a party that would likely have run into the middle of this week.
Massa did all he could in yesterday's incredibly dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix by taking the 11th chequered flag of his career from pole, and his second at Interlagos.
But the Ferrari driver always knew the outcome of the title was in the lap of the gods, and so it proved as he was denied by a single point come the season's conclusion.
Heading into the final lap, title rival Lewis Hamilton had dropped to sixth after being passed by Sebastian Vettel in his Toro Rosso on lap 69 of the truly enthralling 71-lap race.
At that stage the two men were tied on points, but with Massa ready to claim the crown on countback by six race wins to five.
On a wet track, Hamilton struggled in his fading McLaren, only for Timo Glock to come to the Briton's aid as his team kept him out on dry tyres. Just 1,000 metres and 18 seconds from home, Hamilton passed Glock at the penultimate corner to move back up to fifth, and so become the youngest world champion in F1 history.
Massa deserves credit for the way he then conducted himself in the immediate aftermath as a victory has surely never seemed so hollow.
"Everything was perfect, but unfortunately it was not enough," said a tearful Massa. "We had a great championship, but with some ups and downs and we paid for that.
"Sometimes you have a perfect year with many victories and a very reliable car, and then sometimes you have the ups and downs. Everybody did a great job, everybody worked really hard to achieve our goals with heart.
"But sometimes things don't happen the way you want, but then that is racing, that is sport. It is part of your experience, part of life. Everyone in the team should be very proud, proud about the job we did, proud of our race and our championship, and very happy like me.
"Hopefully now we can come back next year and claim the title."
Like a true sportsman, Massa paid his respects to Hamilton as he added: "We should congratulate Lewis for a great championship. He scored more points than us, so he deserves to be champion."
Offering a philosophical outlook, Massa concluded: "I know how to lose and I know how to win. This was just another day of my life where I will learn a lot, and I know I can leave here with my head held high."
The one consolation, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen claiming third behind Renault's Fernando Alonso, was Ferrari again won the constructors' championship, finishing 21 points clear of McLaren.