Gasly has 'a good feeling' about Baku weekend

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Pierre Gasly believes Baku's layout will cater to the qualities of AlphaTauri's car, just like Monaco, although the Frenchman was unable to capitalize on his car's strength when it mattered.

Gasly was among the top midfield runners in practice in Monaco, but a botched qualifying session left him an unexpected and lowly P17 on Sunday's grid.

"I was really gutted with how Monaco turned out because we were very quick in all the free practice sessions and I felt very comfortable with the track," he said ahaed of next weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"We’d managed to find a good car set-up and then, in the one session where we really had to get everything right, we made mistakes that cost us dear, as qualifying is the most important session of the weekend.

"We did not manage it well and then, starting from the back, it’s more or less mission impossible.

"But I was happy about the wet conditions, as that would give us more of a chance. I can be very happy with the race, taking risks, pitting on the first lap for Inters in low grip conditions, passing cars and putting on a show, so it was frustrating not be rewarded with at least a point."

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Gasly knows that "the performance level is there" and he's looking forward to an opportunity to prove it in Baku where he finished on the podium last year.

"I have a good feeling about this race, as the Baku track is made up of nothing but slow corners and we know that, so far this year, we seem to struggle more in high speed turns," he added.

"So, I think the layout could potentially suit us.

"We mustn’t forget there’s that long main straight, so we will have to see how we deal with that. But overall, I’m reasonably optimistic we can perform well there.

"Last year we did really well here, as I finished on the podium in third place after qualifying fourth and it was an excellent race for the team as Yuki was also in the points in seventh.

"So, we come to Baku to 'defend' that result."

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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.