Lawson: I just want to totally reset

Not helped by having to sit out FP3 through a technical issue on the Red Bull RB21, he was not the driver we have come to know in Qualifying and less so in the race. Looking back immediately after the race in Melbourne, Lawson said: “The whole weekend was pretty terrible. We were too slow at the start and then we gambled. It nearly worked, but it wasn’t to be.

"Starting from the pitlane was tough and we just didn’t really have the speed in the first stint on the inter. We struggled with the fronts too much, so we will analyse and look at that in detail before the next race. On slick tyres it was quite competitive for that couple of laps but then it started raining again.

"We took a chance staying out on the medium and hoping half the track would stay dry. We knew that sector three was bad but we thought sector one would stay a little bit drier, so we risked it but it was bucketing down with rain.

"At that point I had backed out of pushing because it was so wet and I was just trying to stay on track. It has been a pretty horrible weekend and a struggle as a whole, but we take plenty of learning," explained Lawson, of his 12th race in Formula 1 and first with RBR.

Heading to China, Lawson will have to reset as he gets comfortable in the Lion's Den which the team is with Verstappen setting the benchmark.

He said in the Red Bull preview of Shanghai: "I am excited to be racing again this weekend, it was a very tough first weekend in the car for me and I am not sure I have been looking forward to getting into a car so much for a very long time.

"I just want to totally reset coming into this weekend and show what we are capable of. It is a new track for me but at the same time we have been doing a lot of sim work and focussed on the preparation extensively for China.

"It’s a track that looks quite cool to drive, I have watched it growing up and I think it’s an exciting it is back on the calendar, and I am looking forward to getting out there. The Sprint format makes things tricky as we get so little practice, but we will work to ensure we are up to speed and make the most of the time we have in FP1 to get dialled in.

"I know the Team has been working extremely hard and we all want to go into China ready to compete. The pace felt like it was there last weekend, and Max showed we are heading in the right direction with the set-up of the car. Last weekend has only made me hungrier to go out there in Shanghai and give it my all.," declared Lawson.