Twelve months ago, Daniel Ricciardo cut a dejected figure on the steps of the Monaco royal box, watching on in jealousy as rival Lewis Hamilton sprayed champagne in celebration of his second career win on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Ricciardo had been robbed of a certain victory after Red Bull called him into the pits from a commanding lead only to fail to have tyres ready when he entered. The 12 seconds he sat raging inside the cockpit must have felt like an eternity and it was enough time for Hamilton to demote him to second place, where he'd remain until the chequered flag.
Standing on the makeshift podium with hands on hips, shoulders slouching and his sullen eyes fixed on the blistering tarmac, a bewildered Ricciardo painted a picture of a man in genuine disbelief as to what had just unfolded. The broad smile he had become synonymous with had vanished, and in its place was an expression of utter despair.
"It hurts," he fumed. "Those tyres should have been ready and this is a win I will never get back.
"How do I feel? Like I've been run over by an 18-wheel truck. I've been screwed and it sucks."
It was the first time those outside the paddock had seen an alternate side to the usually happy-go-lucky Australian. In the past, he appeared unflappable and finding positives when the going got tough seemed to come naturally.
Fast forward a year, and the Formula One circus has once again rolled back into the principality.
While Ricciardo could be excused for arriving in Monaco with negative feelings, he quickly pointed out "I definitely still come here with good vibes".
Ricciardo said what occurred in Monaco last year forced the team into making some changes to ensure such disaster never struck again.
"There were certainly some things which were already in place for Canada," he said. "There were displays which were put up around the garage which were clear for more people and they knew what was happening as opposed to just verbal communication which can sometimes be confusing."
Red Bull's adjustments seemed to pay dividends as Ricciardo would go on to score points in the remaining 15 races of the season, including seven podiums and a victory in Malaysia en route to his second third-place drivers' championship finish.
"Once the emotion came out of the equation, the positive was I'd got my first pole position of my career in what we still believe was an inferior package," he said. "I was the driver to beat all weekend and I took a lot of pride in that and I just tried to take the confidence with me."
An overhaul of technical regulations in the offseason saw Formula One effectively hit the reset button and many pundits expected a highly competitive Red Bull to be leading the charge.
Unfortunately for Ricciardo, his team has failed to live up to the hype and really struggled through the first five races of the season. Red Bull is already 89 points behind leaders Mercedes while Ricciardo has suffered two mechanical retirements.
So he comes to Monaco not overly bothered by championship standings, just hungry for the win that eluded him in such agonising fashion a year ago.
"The level of confidence is still high and there's a bit of unfinished business. We've got more [new parts] this weekend and probably more Monaco-specific as well, so I think this weekend is a chance," he said.
"If you can put everything together in qualifying around here it can give you a good chunk of lap times."