Baku podium brought back Force India's momentum - Mallya

Force India team owner Vijay Mallya says the team's podium result in Baku delivered a welcome boost to the pink squad, and one it hopes to capitalize on in Barcelona next weekend.

After a good qualifying performance in Azerbaijan, the Silverstone-based outfit was looking at a difficult Sunday when Esteban Ocon retired on the first lap of the race and Sergio Perez lost ground at the start.

The Mexican eventually recovered however to produce a heroic drive which - coupled with lucky circumstances - led him to a third place finish.

• Top teams overlooking Perez is 'criminal', says Force India boss

"Baku feels like a turning point in our season," says Mallaya in Force India's Spanish Grand Prix preview.

"The podium has given us a huge boost and is just the result we needed. It helps us forget about the bad luck and missed opportunities from the first few races."

Indeed, the team failed to hold its own at the head of the mid-field when the season got underway in Melbourne, undermined by correlation issues and an upgrade package that did not deliver on expectations.

Force India's pace has gradually improved however on the back of the team investigating its issues and conducting diligent development work.

"Our speed in Baku confirms we are moving in the right direction," adds Mallya.

"We understand the car more and we are taking steps forward at each race. With the podium it feels as though our season is up and running.

"We now have some momentum behind us. Let’s see what we can do in Barcelona where we will have more new parts to try on the car."

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