Hartley not getting carried away despite maiden F1 point

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Brendon Hartley scored his first F1 championship point in Baku but the Toro Rosso rookie is keeping his ambitions in check given his team's pace deficit in Azerbaijan.

Hartley spent most of the afternoon racing at the lower end of the field until chaos up ahead kicked in and pulled him up the ranks to deliver his maiden top-ten finish.

"I’m pretty happy to get my first point in Formula 1. Definitely we’ve had opportunities, especially in Bahrain, but to finally get the first point it’s nice," Hartley said.

"Today I felt like I was on the defensive the whole race. We really didn’t have the pace. There was a lot of drama all around us, I kept it clean, I didn’t make any mistakes and I brought home one point, so I’m happy for that.

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"But, at the same time, we really didn’t have the pace to be much further ahead. Obviously we benefited from other people’s mistakes and did a good strategy," he added.

"I think we did everything we could, we gave it all we had, but today we weren’t really quick enough, especially when we compare it with only two races ago in Bahrain.

"I think there’s still some work to be done by everyone, but I’m happy with the job everyone did to help me secure my first point in Formula 1."

Toro Rosso's first four races of the 2018 campaign have been marked by relative inconsistency, with Pierre Galsy's impressive fourth place finish in Bahrain followed by clear under-performance in China and Baku.

"The obvious question is why we were so quick in Bahrain?" asked a puzzled Hartley.

"Pierre had the result, but I also had the pace in Bahrain, but obviously I didn’t get the result.

"Right at this very moment I don’t have the answers and I think the team will continue to try to understand it. It was only a few weeks ago."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.