'It's all relative' feels like a key piece of sentiment this weekend in Azerbaijan. Coming away with 11th and 12th on the grid may not feel like the most positive day at the office, but for Daniel, the progress made with his feeling in the cockpit was significant, and a reason for optimism.

Finishing fifth and sixth in FP3, we only narrowly missed out on Q3, with Lando 0.022s off in P11 and Daniel just over a tenth further back in P12. For Daniel, it was a two-place improvement on a tricky qualifying session last time out in Monaco, and at a track in Baku that doesn't always play by the rulebook. 

Speaking to F1TV after the session, he said it was the feeling he got from inside of the car that has him looking up.

"It is not a position that I am going to celebrate or anything like that, but it is really about the progress we've made," he said. "We put some work in, in the week and in the sim, and tried a few things, and I think we have been able to execute some of that on track, which has been positive.

"[We're] getting closer to the feeling of what I think we are striving for with the car. Relative to two weeks ago, and how I felt after the Saturday [in Monaco], it is certainly a better position. I think just generally, a better understanding of where we are and what we need to move forward. I will take those positives."

An impressive final practice suggested the team had taken a step forward overnight, with both drivers jumping several positions into the top 10. While that was true, it was more the culmination of the work during the week, with weaknesses in Sector Three always likely to hamstring the team.

On an overtake-friendly track like the Baku City Circuit, he was optimistic about moving forwards.

"We are a little weak in Sector Three, but I think anything can happen around here," he continued. "We need to stay in the fight - you have just got to be there till the end, so I am looking forward to it."

For Lando, it was only the second time in the last five races he's failed to make Q3, but having missed out on what would have been a vital slipstream on the back straight, he felt confident he could have comfortably made the top 10 had he gotten a tow.

"I think my lap was actually good," said Lando to F1TV. "I started my lap behind Lewis [Hamilton], hoping to get a bit of slipstream on the start-finish at the end of the lap, but he changed his run plan.

"So I had no slipstream and lost two and a half tenths or something like that down the back straight, which easily would have put me into Q3, but it just wasn't to be.

"We were a bit unlucky with our positioning, which is always a tough one in Baku. If you are too far back and someone causes a yellow, you wish you were further forward, but I was a bit further forward and didn't get the slipstream - you win some, you lose some.

"I feel like I did a good job. I think we did everything we could with the car. It has been a tough weekend with the car, just not being quite as up there as we were in Monaco, but with the lower downforce, it is just a bit tougher for us. You're always disappointed when you're not as high up as you want to be, but I think we did a good job today."

Lando will start from 11th and Daniel 12th when the lights go out for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 15:00 local / 12:00 BST / 07:00 EDT. You can follow all of the action with LIVE commentary on the McLaren App. 

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