Late-race rainfall had unpicked Hamilton's best-laid plans to cruise home in the fifth place heneeded to deny Massa the crown and it looked likehe would blow his chances of becoming champion for the second season running.
His "I tell itlikeit is" approach has indeed won him support amongst voters, but this time he also needed to reassure his own troops about both his political judgements and his leadership abilities and commitment.
But he warned the government against cutting the Foreign Office budget, which already lacked "anything like the resources" itneeded to pursue the UK's policy objectives.