Racing Point knows success in Formula 1’s midfield will be decided by a “huge development race” this season.
The former Force India outfit started the year a little behind their rivals performance-wise, as they continue the rebuilding from last summer’s takeover.
However, points in three of the first four races, including both cars in the top 10 in Baku, have put the team fifth in the Constructors’ standings.
“I couldn’t be happier,” team owner Lawrence Stroll told Motorsport.com after last Sunday’s race. “I think we finished where we deserved to finish, on merit.
“We know that there are six cars that are in a different league. So we couldn’t have asked for more.”
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Sergio Perez continued his strong history around the Azerbaijan street circuit with a sixth place while Lance Stroll also moved through the field upto P9.
However, sustaining those results, particularly with the likes of Haas and Renault looking to overcome problems, will be difficult.
“I think in the last few races, from seventh to 18th in qualifying was like three-tenths of a second, so it’s really hard to know where in that you’ll fall,” team boss Otmar Szafnauer noted.
“It is what it is, and it means we’ve got to fight more in the midfield. We still have to improve the car, which hopefully we’ll do in Barcelona, and then see how we go for the rest of the year.
“It’s a huge development race this year,” he concluded.