Felipe Massa emerged from an Italian Grand Prix weekend knowing he had a lucky escape.
At a wet Monza, McLaren and Lewis Hamilton would ordinarily have trounced the Ferraris of Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.
But Hamilton made a woeful tyre choice at the start of the second qualifying session to leave him floundering in a career-low 15th on the grid.
Throughout the first half of the race the 23-year-old then scorched past his rivals in his McLaren and was on course for victory.
But an incorrect call on the weather led to Hamilton again putting on the wrong rubber, resulting in an unplanned second stop.
Hamilton managed seventh, a place behind Massa, and now the Briton has a slender one-point lead over the Brazilian going into the final four grands prix.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Massa said: "It was a tough race.
"I had hoped to do better, but I'm also aware it could have been worse.
"We have seen that every time it rains and there are difficult conditions, McLaren have been stronger.
"Today, if they have been stronger and we have finished ahead, then it's been a good race.
"In fact, I've managed to make up a point on my nearest rival so this is absolutely not a negative result.
"In normal conditions, in other words in the dry, I think I could have made it to the podium."
Despite a brave charge towards the end, Raikkonen could only end up ninth from 14th on the grid.
For the first time in just over four years, the Finn has now failed to score a point in three successive races to leave him 21 points adrift of Hamilton.
It is reaching the stage where Raikkonen will soon start having to help his team-mate, but when asked he said: "I don't know. We will see what happens.
"I'm not really interested in thinking what we are going to do in the next races."
Assessing his chances of retaining his title, Raikkonen added: "It is not good, but we'll keep trying and hoping to do better.
"It hasn't been so easy lately. I will continue to give it my best shot as usual."
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