Sergio Perez was delighted after claiming the 'best of the rest' position in qualifying for the Azerbaijan GP on Saturday.

The Mexican, who enjoys the best record of any driver around the Baku city circuit, appeared from nowhere to take fifth on the grid for the race.

Later, he would credit his Racing Point team for the performance, which saw their best result since the mental Q3 session at Spa last year.

“It was a great qualifying, the team did a tremendous job in terms of the strategy. We reacted really well and got all the decisions right – when to go out and when not to go out,” Perez explained.

As most other teams struggled in the fading temperatures of the late afternoon, Checo bucked the trend.

“It was a long session, the track cooled down a lot but I think we did a good job and we were able to get more out of the car,” he stated.

With two previous podiums to his name, obviously starting P5 will lead to expectations that Perez will be there and ready to pounce on Sunday. 

“It will be a long race, we have some very fast cars around us but anything can happen here in Baku,” he acknowledged. “A single mistake can cost you a lot.

“This is a very unique track, it pushes the driver to the maximum. You need to be on the limit every lap without making any mistakes and that takes a lot of commitment and confidence.

“It is important to stay cool, and I think if we are able to finish the race we should be able to score good points.”