Lewis Hamilton was left grateful for Red Bull Racing's disastrous duel that turned him into a race-winner again.
Hamilton stood on the brink of equalling the worst winless drought of his Formula One career if he had not triumphed in the Turkish Grand Prix.
But after nine races without a win, Hamilton took the chequered flag at Istanbul Park, spearheading a McLaren one-two ahead of team-mate Jenson Button.
Sebastian Vettel's lap-40 collision with team-mate Mark Webber cost Red Bull their own one-two, the team collecting just 15 points for the Australian's eventual third instead of the 43 that were on offer.
Red Bull could potentially have been 43 points clear of McLaren in the constructors' standings if their drivers had swept the top two steps of the podium, but instead they are a point adrift of their rivals.
With the perfect vantage point to witness the accident as Hamilton was tailing Vettel at the time, he said: "It was great to watch.
"It was like an action movie in HD or 3D. It was fantastic. It was right ahead of me. I got the best view of it.
"It's the last thing you want to see, and fortunately Sebastian is safe.
"But I just saw Sebastian go up the inside and Mark hold his line.
"I don't think he really had much room to move to the right and I don't think there was necessarily a reason for Sebastian to try to move to the right.
"I think it was unfortunate for them, but all I can say is that it was fortunate for us because we've been working hard all year.
"I think myself and Jenson have deserved to be at the front row for some time, and so today was good."
Hamilton was cheered on for the first time this year by Pussycat Doll girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, who was reluctantly dragged into the post-race celebration team photo in which all the McLaren personnel wear rocket-red victory t-shirts.
"I just got so excited in the garage," said Scherzinger, who was jumping up and down at times during the race's events.
"But I'm just so proud of him."
The 31-year-old could now be adopted as Hamilton's lucky mascot as the 2008 world champion added: "Every time she seems to come I seem to win.
"It was Monaco 2008 she was there, and then Hungary and Singapore last year, so she is definitely a little bit lucky for me I think."
Hamilton and Button did cause their own moment of consternation at the end of lap 49, and the start of lap 50, when they diced for the lead, even touching wheels at one point.
Button initially managed to squeeze past his team-mate into Turn 12 before losing out for good on the run down to Turn One as Hamilton reclaimed the lead.
"I'm sure they were biting their nails all the time," said Hamilton in reference to the likes of team boss Martin Whitmarsh and Paddy Lowe, the director of engineering, on the pit wall.
"But it was a really fair battle with him, and a great result for the team."
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