  The standard model of strong laser physics, the recollision scenario, omits
the ionic core potential after tunneling. Strikingly, although the Coulomb
interaction drives all stages of recollision, the maximum energy the electrons
bring back to the core is found by ignoring it. We resolve this long-standing
paradox by showing that this good agreement stems from a fortuitous
cancellation at high intensities. Instead of the three step model, we find that
the Coulomb interaction can be fully integrated into a purely classical
scenario that explains recollisions without invoking tunneling.
