What we saw Sunday in the Canadian Grand Prix was what Formula One is so close to being on a regular basis. That is, if it weren’t for the ruthless domination of the Mercedes duo.

I thoroughly enjoy watching Rosberg and Hamilton battle in their own zip code like they did for part of the race at Montreal and earlier this year in Bahrain. However, their stranglehold on the series does get a little old and has blinded us to how competitive the sport really is this year.

It’s been a secondary story all season, that being the enthralling battles for third, fourth, and fifth place at every Grand Prix. We saw Ricciardo and Magnussen battle for the second step on the podium at Melbourne, the incredible duel for third between Force India, Red Bull, and Williams at Bahrain, Ricciardo hunting Alonso down in the closing laps at Shanghai, and of course, the captivating finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

There was a difference between this past weekend and all other aforementioned races. Those riveting battles were not taking place in the background of the race leaders. No, this fight WAS for the lead. Five drivers from four different organizations ran nose-to-tail as the checkered flag neared. Behind them, another three drivers were beginning to zero on. You couldn’t script it any better.

The fight that ensued was remarkable. If it weren’t for the far superior Mercedes cars in 2014, that would be what fans would get on almost a weekly basis. Imagine Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams, Force India, Ferrari, all with dogs in the fight and locked into an epic struggle for supremacy. Unfortunately, the monopoly the silver arrows currently have on the sport doesn’t seem to be subsiding any time soon.

Nonetheless, that race we all enjoyed epitomizes what motorsport is all about and serves as a glimpse of what F1 could be if it weren’t for the veil cast over the other 20 cars by Mercedes. When you are able to look past what that proverbial veil conceals though, you begin to realize, this sport is so close to being as exciting as it’s ever been. The only thing standing in the way of Formula One ascertaining a level of competition most can only dream of is a single team. So, I guess in hindsight, the product isn’t all that bad after all.

We don’t need megaphones to make the cars louder, nor do we need wrecks, controversy, or teammates bickering to keep intrigue among the fans. Nope, the cure to all problems in racing is the racing itself. As was the case in Montreal, put on a great show and all other complaints will fade into the backdrop and turn into nothing but inaudible whispers.

Well, at least until the next race that is.