Esteban Ocon was happy with his qualifying performance around the Baku Street Circuit despite the Frenchman feeling a mistake cost him the opportunity to qualify ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez.
The Sahara Force India F1 Team racer will start seventh on the grid for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his best qualifying performance so far of his blossoming career, with the Frenchman just 0.075 seconds behind Perez despite the small mistake.
Ocon is confident that he can get a strong result on Sunday, and feels that big points are on offer if mistakes are avoided and the chequered flag is seen.
“It’s the best qualifying position in my career and I am very happy about how the session went,” said Ocon. “I made a tiny mistake on my fastest lap and that probably cost me a position, but as a team we have been improving every step of the way.
“Today was all about pushing to the limit: I brushed the wall three times, something I didn’t do yesterday, but I wanted to give everything today. We are in a strong position for tomorrow’s race and we know anything can happen here.
“It’s a tight track and very tricky to get right. A strong first lap will be crucial, but the most important thing will be to finish the race. If you get to the end here, you can score big points. Our pace is good and I am confident we can get a good result.”