Two points on his debut were all it took for Formula 1 fans and pundits alike to hail Yuki Tsunoda as the sport's next big star.
And when the Japanese racer found that result difficult to replicate in the following weeks and months, the knives came out just as swiftly. A series of mistakes followed a hefty Imola crash which knocked his confidence for six and, soon enough, those witty geniuses on social media were dubbing him 'Yuki Spinoda'. How original.
It is true, though, that he faced a fight for his F1 future. After all, every driver does. His talent has rarely come under question, but it has taken a lot of work from Tsunoda to change his mental approach to the sport from what it was when he first joined, to get to the place that he is in today.
The 22-year-old is in his third season as an AlphaTauri driver, having made the grade as a Red Bull junior. There was some doubt over whether he would get a contract extension last year, but the offer was extended – the absence of an obvious replacement being a considerable factor.
With that in mind, it's possible that Pierre Gasly's desire to start anew away from the Red Bull stable saved Tsunoda. The racer from Sagamihara's new deal was announced before the Frenchman's Alpine move, but AlphaTauri knew long before then that Gasly was keen on a fresh challenge and it was he who was replaced by Nyck de Vries.
But it was clear that improvements needed to be made. Tsunoda's biggest barrier was, in many ways, himself. He has made no secret of the fact he dislikes physical training – and he absolutely hates Milton Keynes – but his most obvious problem in many ways was his struggle to keep his emotions in check when the time comes.
F1 history tells us that the greatest drivers are able to keep cool under pressure when it matters. But Tsunoda garnered something of a reputation for losing his rag over the radio, yelling at his own team regularly when things didn't go how he wanted.
The problem got to a point that Red Bull hired a psychologist to help him process his emotions better. Helmut Marko, the long-time head of the team's driver development programme, labelled Tsunoda as "our problem child" and challenged the racer to prove he could demonstrate better self-control.
It was clear, though, that everyone involved was willing Tsunoda to be successful. Veteran AlphaTauri chief Franz Tost has always had a soft spot for "little Yuki" and, after Marko's blunt description of the Japanese racer, replied: "I like problem children."
The 2023 season is likely the make-or-break year for Tsunoda's career – a task made all the more difficult by his team's lack of a competitive car. But, in the first four rounds of the campaign, a totally different racer has been under wearing the helmet with the number 22.
His results so far have been remarkably consistent. Back-to-back 11th placed finishes to start the season were tough to swallow, But he kept plugging away and went one better to take a point from each of his new two outings. Tsunoda's record against new team-mate De Vries is 4-0 with the Dutchman pointless so far.
How has the 22-year-old been securing such impressive results with the slowest car on the grid? "I also learn a lot from other drivers, especially after I stepped up to Formula 1, especially from Fernando Alonso," he explained last month as he revealed he has been watching videos of the Spaniard defending against Lewis Hamilton.
Tsunoda's racecraft has noticeably improved and other drivers have noticed, such as Nico Hulkenberg who swore in surprise at what he witnessed the Japanese racer do in Melbourne. And he defended remarkably against Kevin Magnussen in Jeddah in March.
He could not prevent the Dane from stealing the last points position away from him late on that day, but his reaction after the race also offered proof of his improved mentality. Despite being gutted over having nothing to show from a good performance, fans noticed his sporting gesture towards Magnussen in parc ferme.
Within just a couple of months, conversation has switched from whether Tsunoda will keep his place in F1 to what might be next for him. Recently, Tost even went as far as to suggest the Japanese will be ready for a Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.
Others are beginning to think the same, especially with uncertainty around the future of Sergio Perez. The Mexican has a contract until the end of next season but, given his tense relationship with Verstappen, even two victories from four races to start the 2023 campaign has not been enough to convince some that he is the right man to be the defending champion's team-mate.
Tsunoda may not be a household name yet, but that will not stop Red Bull from promoting him if they think he can do what they need from a driver – win races when Verstappen doesn't. After all, the Dutchman was only a teenager himself when he was called up to take victory on debut in Spain, as Daniil Kvyat was ruthlessly sent back to the sister team.
After replacing the Russian himself when he got his first F1 drive with AlphaTauri, Tsunoda appears to be back on the right track. And there's not reason why George Russell's example of earning a move to a top team while driving for a struggling Williams team cannot be replicated by someone working wonders with a poor AlphaTauri car.
