Sainz: "I'm just three tenths behind last year's pole with Williams"

The Spanish pilot said that he has become more comfortable with the car with each session and that he and the team have made great progress.

"I want to focus on the positives today because it was one of my best qualifying times this year, maybe my best Q3 lap of the year. I put in a very strong lap to challenge McLaren and Mercedes and we did it, so I'm very happy," he said.

Sainz described the Q3 lap as the "cleanest lap of the season", stating that the car had used its full potential.

"It was probably the lap where I made no mistakes. I knew what to do with the steering and the driving lines. We're only two or three tenths off the pole I achieved with Ferrari last year. This shows how far the team and I have come," he said.

Sainz, who will start from 12th place due to a five-place grid penalty, said he maintained his points target despite this.

"I'll wake up tomorrow and say 'damn it, I'm starting from P12', but I'll still give it my best. Engine and brake temperatures might be a problem, but my target is to finish in the top eight," he said.