After a successful Formula One test, Kiwi driver Liam Lawson has his heart locked on securing another chance at competing in motorsport's pinnacle, as soon as he possibly can.
Lawson, 19, suited up for Italian outfit Alpha Tauri - the sister team of motorsport powerhouse Red Bull - at Formula One's end of season testing at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night (NZ time).
And in his first real drive of a Formula One car, the Pukekohe native didn't disappoint.
Across the first day of testing, Lawson put in 125 laps for Alpha Tauri, and despite the aches and pains that driving a Formula One car bring with it, the teen sensation couldn't hide his delight at what he's just accomplished in the searing heat of the UAE.
"I didn't want to get out in the end," Lawson tells Newshub.
"I was really sad. I sat in the car for a couple of minutes when the session was done. The mechanic said 'you can jump out now.' I didn't want to.
"I have to get back in one, there's no way I'll be able to live life and not drive a Formula One car again."
But for now, another taste of Formula One will have to wait, with Lawson returning to Formula Two for the 2022 season.
And while the technical skills of driving an F1 car don't necessarily translate backwards to the F2 model, the confidence Lawson has gained from this week's test will undoubtedly serve as a key stepping stone in his progression towards his ultimate goal.
"The driving's completely different. It's not something I learn a huge amount [from].
"[There are] little things definitely that I can take from it to put into F2, but it's very, very minor because the cars are so different.
"I think the main thing is it's my first step towards F1 properly, now I've driven the car. It's a very important thing - not only for the team, but for me as well - to know that I can drive the car.
"It's so different to anything else. You can be quick, but to drive an F1 car quick is another level. That's nice to know as well.
"You can't really take too much from the driving side of it into next year, hopefully I get more opportunities though, to continue testing the car."
Across his 125 laps at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit, Lawson put in a best time of 1m 24.517s - the second fastest of the day's testing.
For comparison, the Kiwi finished quicker than the likes of current Formula One stars Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas - all of whom are proven race winners.
In fact, Lawson finished just shy of four seconds faster than newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen - days after he sealed his maiden title in thrilling fashion at the very same venue.
But, that's all to be taken with a grain of salt, with raw speed rarely the focus of F1 tests, as teams look to build towards their 2022 campaigns.
And as Lawson himself explains, he certainly isn't getting carried away with his on-track results achieved in Abu Dhabi.
"To be fair, in a test it's really hard to tell where you're at. Everyone's on their own run plans and things like that, with tyres and fuel and actual power as well.
"I only know what we have, and I can only compare with the data we have from over the weekend, the engineers from their feedback.
"It was very positive, which was good and I'm happy with it, but I don't want to compare too much from the other guys."
On the whole, 2021 has been a mixed year for Lawson, with the immense highs of an F1 test balanced out by the lows even the best drivers are forced to experience.
After victory in the Formula Two season opener at Bahrain, Lawson achieved another podium at the same venue, and then another at Saudi Arabia's Jeddah in the season's penultimate round - enough to finish ninth in the drivers championship.
In between his F2 commitments, Lawson also took part in the German DTM series, partnered by now former Red Bull F1 driver Alex Albon, and was cruelly denied the title in the season's final race after being taken out by a title rival on the opening corner.
But looking back, testing in Formula One by far outweighs any disappointment for the young Kiwi.
"It's been up and down honestly. There's areas we've exceeded in and areas we haven't.
"DTM was a really great championship for us, and something that took me on a huge learning curve, which I'm really grateful for. I think the season was really successful, regardless of how the end result came out.
"F2 I would have like to [finish] higher. For sure, over the year other teams started to really increase, and it seemed we couldn't have the same progression that they did, [and] couldn't match them in the end, which was a shame.
"But then to have my first F1 test at the end of the year, having more experience with the F1 team as well in the factory, doing simulator work as well, has been a big step up this year.
"It's been my biggest year for sure, yet. I just hope next year we have some similar opportunities."
Later this week, Lawson will return to New Zealand for the Christmas and New Year period, and after spending almost the entirety of 2021 away from home, the break is deserved.
But with 2022 creeping closer by the day, Lawson's ambitions remain the same as they've always been - to win any and every race available to him.
"I want to drive a Formula One car more, definitely.
"Other than that, the goal has always been to win every time I get in the car, and that's the goal next year.
"For that, nothing else changes."
