Sainz: Looking at the [crash] data, I'm calmer about the situation

Much like Lewis Hamilton replacing him at Ferrari with great fanfare, Sainz's arrival at Williams grabbed headlines as the Spaniard galvanised the team during the off-season. But when it mattered, fate was cruel.

First, he was unexpectedly out-qualified by Albon on Saturday. Then, he reported a "massive torque surge" (too much right foot at the wrong time) after slamming the wall on a treacherous opening lap. It was cruel for last year's winner in Australia—but that's F1.

Not helped by the Melbourne shenanigans, Sainz will have to reset and deliver. Heading to Shanghai, he exonerated himself: "We’ve looked at the data and could quickly spot what happened, so this leaves me calmer about the situation.

"Without going into details, it’s related to the upshifts when in Safety Car Mode. I’m obviously frustrated about it and feel sorry for everyone in the team. I spent the rest of the race trying to help on the radio, and I’m happy I could at least participate in that way," added Sainz.

Looking ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Sainz said: "It’s our first Sprint event of the season and a good opportunity to get my season going. The track is quite unique and includes one of the longest straights of the season, so it’s a new challenge for the car’s characteristics around these different track layouts.

"The Sprint weekend means we only have one Practice session, which is maybe not ideal this early in the season. However, there are more opportunities to score some points, which becomes a big motivation. Can’t wait to jump back in the car again!" declared Sainz.

Teammate Albon, heading to Shanghai on a high, said in the team preview: "Australia was a really strong way to start the year with a great result for the team. We need to build on this momentum and pick up where we left off going into China this weekend.

"It’s the first Sprint weekend of the year, so we all need to be on our A-game and maximise what we have. Banking as many points as we did so early in the season is important, so we’ll keep pushing, keep learning, and hopefully keep delivering," added Albon.

Notably, Sainz will take note that his former Ferrari team, for whom he won this race last year, had a disappointing start to their campaign. Albon outqualified both Charles Leclerc (P8) and the Spaniard's replacement, Lewis Hamilton (P10), in Melbourne.