Lowe’s qualifying shock after Williams switch

Lowe returned to Williams, the team that launched his Formula 1 career in the late 1980s, at the beginning of this season, after a three-year stretch of winning World Championships with Mercedes.

In an exclusive interview with GP Gazette, Lowe said it hasn't been a lack of race wins that has taken adjusting to, rather the sensation of not topping qualifying – something unusual after 56 Mercedes poles from 59 races between 2014 and 2016.

"The only point this year when I've thought, 'oh,' is when you're in qualifying and you see a purple come up on the timing screen, and realise that it isn't yours," Lowe told GP Gazette.

"I've realised that through this process, that's the thing you want, those purples.

"I enjoy that far more than the flag or the podium or any of that stuff. Qualifying is ultimately the performance of the car, and when you've got a quick driver wringing its neck, that's the point of delivery, when you see the timing screen.

"We'll get back there…"

Lowe also discusses how 'impossible' the Mercedes dominance between '14 and '16 was, and the process of closing the gap to the current front-runners with the Williams squad.

For more, check out the latest GP Gazette.

Interview by Adam Cooper