Paddy Lowe's latest comments are timely. When the Executive Director (Technical) at Mercedes AMG Petronas refers to the Monaco gaff as a "single error made in a split second", it's not only a fair summary (notwithstanding the basic premise that track position is everything at Monaco; but let's not revisit that here!) but also an appropriate moment to remind us that mistakes often occur in this frenetic business.
F1 moves on to Montreal and I can recall at least three major errors of judgement - and not all of them enjoying the caveat of having been made in a split second.
In 1980, the Canadian race was held late in the season to marry logistics with the United States Grand Prix across the border in Watkins Glen. Being the penultimate race, Montreal would have a major say in the championship fight between Brabham's Nelson Piquet and Alan Jones of Williams. They qualified first and second with Piquet taking pole, a performance by the Brazilian that would be crucial for reasons beyond the obvious.
To get there, Brabham had installed a screamer of a Ford V8 in the spare car - a hugely expensive practice with qualifying specials that would run for another couple of decades before Max Mosley rightly put a stop to it.
In 1980, however, the only concern relative to cost was how much damage would be done in the likely event of Jones and Piquet tangling at the start and causing a multi-car pile up. Which is exactly what happened when Piquet was 'accidentally' squeezed against the wall on the right. (In those days, the start at the far end of the circuit was followed immediately by a gentle right-hander).
The Williams was virtually unharmed. But Piquet had to take the spare car. That in itself was perfectly okay under the rules. Not so the fact that no one at Brabham had thought of such a likely scenario and the qualifying engine remained in the back of the spare BT49. At the restart, Piquet took off like a scalded cat. Twenty-three laps later, the DFV blew up and, with it, Nelson's championship.
It's funny how things go around. Eleven years later (when the race date had been moved to June), Piquet was laughing himself silly as he took the chequered flag. A few minutes before, his Benetton-Ford had passed Nigel Mansell, not in a daring overtaking move but because the Williams-Renault, which had been miles ahead, was parked by the side of the track (roughly, as fate would have it, where the 1980 collision had taken place).
It had been a difficult year thus far for Mansell as he and Williams struggled with teething problems created by the semi-automatic gearbox. After three retirements and a second place at Monaco, it had all come together in Montreal with a truly dominant performance.
Nigel's understandable elation soared even higher on the final lap as the crowd in the atmospheric horse-shoe of grandstands at the hairpin rose as one to pay noisy tribute. Mansell responded by waving to his public. Unfortunately, in the process, he failed to flick the paddle and change down through the box. As a result, the revs dropped and the engine died. Never to start again without assistance.
Or, at least, that's what many believed. Mansell said the gearbox had played up. (I don't know the exact truth and can only recount an interesting exchange on the grid at the next race in Mexico. Scanners were then fairly new and I had bought one from Radio Shack in Detroit. Having picked up the Williams frequency, I clearly heard Patrick Head's final words to his driver. "Have a good one, Nigel," said the team's technical director, before a pregnant pause and the words: "ALL of it, Nigel". The tone of his voice indicated a command rather than sympathy and best wishes.)
Lewis Hamilton may feel the need to issue a directive or two this weekend but his actions ought to be influenced by the uncomfortable memory of this race in 2008. Having started from pole and taken command of the first 20 laps, Hamilton dived into the pits under a Safety Car - only to crash into the back of Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari, stopped (along with another car) for a red light at the end of the pit lane.
It was a single silly error, made in a split second. And it proved more costly than Monaco two weeks ago. These things happen. Quite often in Canada.