Verstappen confident for a strong qualifying result

Max Verstappen says that he is feeling very confident inside the cockpit of the RB13 despite crashing out at the end of the second practice session. The Dutchman topped both Friday practice sessions, beating the struggling Mercedes' and Ferrari's.

Red Bull was expected to struggle around the long Baku circuit that contains the longest straight on the calendar. However, the pace of the Milton Keynes team has held up well, and Verstappen will head into qualifying on a high.

"The whole day has been really positive, except the last lap, everything has been working well. From lap one I felt comfortable in the car, it was handling really well and I was confident with the setup.

"I think the preparation we did at the factory and in the simulator has allowed us to come here with a strong setup and competitive car from the go. This has definitely been the most positive Friday of the year so far. It feels like the cars are quicker through the corners this year, this means if you have a lock up it can be more critical.

"We are confident heading into Qualifying but also wary that Mercedes will turn their engines up a bit. We are on top at the end of Friday which means they have to catch up so it will be exciting in the session tomorrow."

Fergal Walsh