All week he had been cheeping merrily about the race but, in the shock of defeat, after a blown tyre took him out of the race in the 63rd lap, ending his hopes of a first British world championship since James Hunt in 1976, he could barely speak.
Next, Michael Waltrip introduced the mothers of the drivers, who commanded, "Sons and gentlemen, start your engines!" Jamie McMurray led the drivers to the start of the race, but Jeff Gordon passed him before the first lap ended.
It's worth comparing the victory-lap ending of "The Word Exchange" (call it revenge of the book nerds) to the much more precarious non-resolution of "Fahrenheit 451".
Just as we can imagine David Cameron, teddy bear on lap, enjoying end-to-end episodes of Brideshead.
An errant lap shot ended the last World Twenty20 final, when Misbah was dismissed to give India victory, and now it has started this one.
Knocked into a spin on the first lap, he ended it last.
A punctured rear tyre on lap 35 ended his hopes of a dramatic recovery.
In contrast Jenson Button, whose retirement with fuel problems on the 33rd lap realistically ended his championship aspirations, was a much jollier figure after the race.
Fernando Alonso then passed Kovalainen before Raikkonen, who was enduring an eventful afternoon, again stopped in the pit lane four laps from end, not far from the spot where he came to rest in yesterday's qualifying session.
The Englishman was 0.229secs and four places ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso, who made an error in the final sector of his fastest lap and ended up 11th.
