The result may have done little to change the championship picture, but in Germany Formula One had the opportunity to celebrate those who have been cast into the shadows by the Mercedes juggernaut.
There is no other driver operating on the same level as Lewis Hamilton today. While the Briton has earned the benefit of a class-leading car and is obviously immensely naturally talented, it’s his insatiable desire to be the best — surely the point of any elite competition — that is setting him apart from his undoubtedly fast rivals.
If you were monitoring that renowned bastion of reasonable and level-headed debate known as Twitter during the Canadian Grand Prix, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Formula One had folded overnight, never to be seen again among the ranks of top-tier motorsport.
You might think just six rounds into a 21-race season is too early for the driver merry-go-round to start turning, but speculation is never far from hand in Formula One.
It might be unusual to say any driver other than Lewis Hamilton, with four wins from six and a 17-point championship lead, is the standout performer of the season to date, but Max Verstappen has never been ordinary.
One year on from his lights-to-flag domination of the Monaco Grand Prix and Daniel Ricciardo has no hope of even a podium on the hallowed Monte Carlo streets.
The most important question now is how integral Ferrari’s flaws are to its 2019 campaign. Only with that answer can it attempt to lift and salvage what’s left of its season.
The cost of Ferrari’s slow start to the season will be paid by its 2019 campaign eventually. Whether the payment ultimately bankrupts its campaign will be decided this weekend.