Lewis Hamilton will face the unknown of Austria next week seeking to soothe the frustration of suffering two heavy blows across his last two races.
As if the furore of his feud with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in Monaco was not bad enough to contend with last month, Hamilton then gallingly suffered his second retirement of the season on Sunday.
The loss of the MGU-K energy store unit had the knock-on effect of causing a rear-brake failure for Hamilton at a time when he was vying for the lead.
Rosberg’s car encountered the same MGU-K issue, but the German driver managed to nurse it through to the chequered flag to claim 18 very valuable points and open up a 22-point lead over Hamilton.
Surprisingly, Hamilton conceded the frustration he felt in Monaco was far more acute than that he experienced in Montreal.
The combined effect of both, however, now leaves him with the task of heading into the Red Bull Ring – as Austria returns to Formula One for the first time since 2003 – needing to regroup and refocus again.
“Before we had our problems (in Canada) I was on it, but then it all fell apart,” said Hamilton.
“I now just have to try and make things less difficult for myself in the next race. I just want to get ready for that next race.
“I have a lot of training planned and I’ll be in the simulator, and the team will be flat out trying to understand and fix for the next race the issue we had.”
Hamilton will have to learn quickly to get up to speed with Austria as it is a circuit he has never encountered before.
Rosberg, however, has driven there – when it was formerly known as the A1-Ring – in both Formula BMW in 2002 and again a year later in the Formula Three Euroseries, finishing third in race two.
“Years and years and years ago, when I was 13 to 15, I drove it in a computer game, and I’ve obviously seen it on TV,” said Hamilton.
“But once I get on the sim I’ll learn it quickly. It shouldn’t be a problem.
“Nico will have driven it before. If I’m honest I don’t even know which way turn one goes!
“But I’ll know before I get there. I will be on it for the next one. I’ll be better.”