It's the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend - and an opportunity for George Russell to defy his own bleak prediction.
After the race at Emilia Romagna was wiped out, quite literally, by inclement weather last weekend, teams and drivers got back up and running at one of F1's most famous venues on Friday. And there was renewed hope for Russell and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, amid radical new upgrades on the W14 cars.
Indeed, Hamilton was third in FP1 and sixth second time around, and afterwards spoke favourably about his revamped vehicle. Russell struggled however, labouring in 15th and then 12th as Max Verstappen ominously set the pace in the latter session.
Indeed, the Dutchman is 14 points clear of Red Bull partner Sergio Perez in the standings, with the pair having won all five Grand Prix's between them so far. Thus far then, Russell has been proved right after offering a downbeat forecast following the season opener in Bahrain in March.
"Red Bull have got this championship sewn up. I don't think anybody is going to be fighting with them this year," he told reporters. "I expect them to – or they should – win every single race this season.
"We're here to win and if we've got to sacrifice some races or part of the season to give ourselves a chance to get a car that can fight – whether it's in the second half of the season or even if it's looking forward to next year – then that's maybe what we’re going to have to do because clearly we are a long way behind."
However, if there is one circuit that can negate superior pace it's Monaco. Saturday's qualifying sessions will prove pivotal, with Red Bull's rivals knowing the potential race-defining benefits of starting Sunday's race at the front of the grid.
And with their new upgrades, Russell and Hamilton will be eying the opportunity to record just a second win for the Silver Arrows in the last two seasons. The 25-year-old is yet to finish on the podium in this campaign though, and will need a significantly better showing than what he produced in free practice.
It was Perez who prevailed last time out in a tense finish, holding off Ferrari's Carlos Sainz after Mick Schumacher had prompted a red flag by crashing into the barriers. Afterwards, the circuit was again criticised by fans and pundits for failing to produce enough overtaking.
