Kiwi Formula One driver Brendon Hartley is pushing the reset button on his forgettable 2018 season, beginning this weekend in Germany.
Hartley has scored just one point this season, earning a 10th-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April.
The 28-year-old has been hampered by mechanical issues, bad luck and poor performance during the first 10 rounds.
Hartley told Three's The Project, the midway point of the season is a perfect opportunity to start over.
"I've had three or four bad races on the trot," Hartley said. "I'm optimistic that we can hopefully score some points.
"It's about putting everything you can together and getting the most out of the weekend."
Hartley admits he has been at fault more than once this season when in point-scoring positions, but the last three Grand Prix's have seen the Kiwi’s Toro Rosso team struggle for reliability.
"I have been a little unlucky," Hartley told The Project.
"The last couple of months have been unfortunate. There were times earlier in the season where we had chances to score big points and I didn't deliver.
"But lately there have been times where I did deliver and outperform my teammate, or the car was in a position to perform, but we would have an issue.
"Putting a perfect Formula One weekend together isn't easy."
Speculation had been rife around the Formula One paddock that Hartley would be replaced by this point of the season, but that scuttlebutt has simmered lately. With the senior Red Bull team committing to Honda-powered engines for the 2019 season, Toro Rosso will now be tasked with developing that engine for the Austrian outfit.
Hartley had heard the rumours of his demise, but insisted it was almost impossible to add any extra internal pressure in such a high-pressure environment.
"There is a huge amount of pressure," Hartley said. "Millions of dollars are spent on these Formula One teams.
"There are over 500 people alone working just at Toro Rosso and you are that last piece of the puzzle sitting in the car.
"That can feel overwhelming at times, but you learn to deal with that. The most pressure comes from within myself, because I want to do the best I can.
"I try to be as normal as I can be. I try to do stuff that makes me feel normal and happy... get away from the high-pressure environment of the race track under millions of eyes.
"The simpler you can keep it, the better."
The Hockenheim track should provide some comfort for the Kiwi, who has raced there many times during his career.
Newshub.
Watch the full interview with Brendon Hartley on the Project from 7pm.
