Lewis Hamilton on Sunday followed in the footsteps of his hero Ayrton Senna by becoming a wet-weather master.
Hamilton thrilled 90,000 rain-lashed fans at Silverstone, and millions more on television, by romping to a thrilling British Grand Prix victory.
The 23-year-old left his rivals trailing in the spray from his McLaren to join Sir Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and David Coulthard as a winner on home soil.
After failing to score in the last two races in Canada and France, and with increasing pressure on his shoulders, Hamilton produced what he described as "the best victory I've ever had".
Having triumphed in the monsoon that hit Japan last September, and then on Monaco's damp streets six weeks ago, this latest success has confirmed Hamilton as Formula One's ruler in the rain.
Evoking memories of the way Senna was dominant in such conditions, Hamilton said: "He was spectacular in the wet.
"He once said if you can drive in the wet then you can do anything, and the top drivers do come to the fore.
"Growing up I knew I wanted to master the wet, so throughout my career I've worked very, very hard to be sitting where I am.
"But it also comes very naturally. I am very sensitive and I know when to push, when not to push, and this win was a result of that."
After passing team-mate Heikki Kovalainen on lap five to take the lead, it then became a matter of Hamilton versus the elements.
Crucially, on lap 21, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen within a second of Hamilton, the two title contenders pitted together.
While Hamilton changed on to a new set of tyres, Raikkonen remained on his old rubber, and it proved critical as Ferrari's gamble backfired.
At that stage the circuit was wet, but it was not raining, with Ferrari chiefs believing the track would slowly dry and Raikkonen's wearing tyres would give him the advantage.
But within four laps the rain struck again, and with it Hamilton cruised home, finishing a remarkable 68.5 seconds clear of BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.
"It was so extreme out there, in some cases as extreme as Fuji last year," reflected Hamilton.
"Obviously, there wasn't as much rain, but they were such tricky conditions, and I had huge problems with my visor.
"I couldn't see a thing, and it was fogging up on the right side, so between turns one and two I had to lift the visor and clean it on the inside, drop it down, and then clean it again before Stowe.
"I had to do that every lap just to be able to see, especially when it started to rain. It was just so slippery, so tough, a real mental challenge.
"I just had to focus on making sure I didn't have any mishaps or mistakes, while the team did a great job, so a big 'thank you' to them."
The victory means that at the half-way point of the season there is a three-way tie at the top of the drivers' championship, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Raikkonen also on 48 points, although Hamilton has a slight edge on countback.
Massa spun an astonishing five times in total, while Raikkonen lost control twice, with the duo eventually winding up 13th and fourth respectively.
Rubens Barrichello claimed his first podium for three years in his Honda, while behind Raikkonen came Kovalainen, Fernando Alonso in a Renault, Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Williams' Kazuki Nakajima.
David Coulthard's final British race, after he confirmed on Thursday he is to retire at the end of the season, lasted only half a lap as he collided with Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel and both ended up in the gravel.
Jenson Button completed 37 more laps in his Honda, only to slide out, as did title challenger Robert Kubica, Giancarlo Fisichella, Adrian Sutil and Nelson Piquet.
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