The most experienced man in Formula One gave Fernando Alonso a lesson in the meaning of morality and humility on Friday.
Rubens Barrichello will chalk up the unprecedented milestone of his 300th grand prix in Belgium at the end of next month.
It is Barrichello's love for Formula One that has guaranteed him a place in the sport's history books, a love that has blossomed since he quit Ferrari.
The Brazilian was stifled by team orders, of often having to cede position and give away wins and points to Michael Schumacher.
It was a situation that after six years, from 2000 through to 2005, Barrichello could no longer stomach, and for the sake of his career and sanity he left.
Whether that is the advice he has passed on to Felipe Massa in the wake of the team orders controversy in Sunday's German Grand Prix will remain between the two men as they have privately spoken.
Massa was forced to give up victory at Hockenheim to Alonso, who has yet to publicly offer any thanks to his team-mate for a win that keeps him firmly in the title hunt.
At the Hungaroring on Friday, four days after the furore surrounding Ferrari, Alonso refused to show any kind of good grace.
Instead, it was left to Barrichello to add context to the situation because at the end of the day Ferrari broke a rule that came into force because of the way the 38-year-old was treated at Maranello.
"I think we should do something to stop this thing. When you are racing you want to beat the other one," said Barrichello.
"I would not feel good if a team say to me we will give you this and it will make you faster than the other one and you will win."
"I don't like that. I never did it. That's why I made changes in my life and changed teams."
"It's in the hands of the top people to change it, but you should be allowed to race, what is the problem?
"If you don't win the championship by one point, so be it. You had your chance."
"If you win the championship by one point because somebody let you win, what is the point?"
"If I had to be a bad guy to be a world champion I would not care for that."
"I will teach my boys the way my father taught me. That's my view."
It would have been useful for Alonso to have listened to because an hour after Barrichello's words of wisdom he played a straight bat to every question that came his way.
On the day of his 29th birthday, Alonso claimed there was no No.1 or two driver within Ferrari and offered no opinion on whether the team orders regulation should be quashed or whether he was worried the World Motor Sport Council will further punish Ferrari after they were fined $100,000 US for its rule-breaking in Hockenheim.
Pertinently, when asked if he would ever give up position to Massa should the situation dictate, Alonso stonewalled.
"Every race is different, different circumstances, possibilities and we will decide for the best," said Alonso.
"We race for Ferrari and we know what we have to do."
When it was pointed out to Alonso the majority of F1 fans around the world, on message boards and in opinion polls, had expressed their unhappiness at what they saw, he pleaded