Daniil Kvyat has insisted that he is not ready to give up on his Formula 1 career quite yet.
After a woeful qualifying, the young Russian appeared close to tears amid reports that he will definitely be dumped completely by employer Red Bull at the end of the year.
However, the 22-year-old then had a better race.
"I got the most out of the car, so that is positive," he is quoted as saying by Russian media.
"I think I should continue to follow this approach, because it worked. I think that in the second half of the season, the situation should be much better."
Kvyat may even have been picked up after qualifying by some leading Red Bull officials, with his former boss Christian Horner seen chatting to him on the grid.
"Many people who know me, including Christian, have seen that I was not myself in the past few weeks," he admitted.
"But I think everyone has difficult periods and yesterday was one for me."
Kvyat had said after qualifying that he doubted even the summer break would help him regroup, but he sounded more upbeat after the German Grand Prix.
"I think I need the break more than anyone else," he smiled.
He also refused to hit out at the Red Bull driver programme, amid suggestions that it puts too much pressure on young drivers like Kvyat.
"Yes, but the programme also allowed me to become a strong driver," said Kvyat.
"Now I'm not so strong due to events that happened a few months ago, but that's no excuse. In the end, I need to get stronger from the situation. It's not easy, but I have to do everything for that."
The championship resumes with the Belgian Grand Prix on August 28.
