Force India team boss Vijay Mallya believes the outfit's podium finish in Baku, its first podium for two years, can act as a turning point in its 2018 Formula 1 campaign.
Prior to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Force India was ninth in the constructors' standings and had only managed to secure just one solitary point after some tough opening races, but with Sergio Perez scoring 15 points for his third place in Baku it moved the team swiftly up to sixth place.
With updates expected on the VJM11 in Barcelona, Mallya is confident the team can keep the momentum moving forward into the European leg of the 2018 season.
"Baku feels like a turning point in our season," said Mallya. "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.
"Our speed in Baku confirms we are moving in the right direction. 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."
Perez has echoed Mallya's sentiment and believes Force India's current form reminds him of seasons gone by where they have performed in a similar fashion and gone on to secure good results later in the season.
The Mexican is also keen to get in the car and try out the new updates that will be going onto the car after numerous changes have been made to the VJM11 since pre-season testing concluded in March.
"Finishing on the podium in Baku felt amazing," Perez added. "After a few tough races, we finally got a result we deserved. It reminded me of 2016 when we had a difficult start to the season and then we had the podium in Monaco.
"We were quick in Baku right from the start and we knew there was the chance to score a great result. I’m so proud of my team and the way we did it. Even when we had to pit on lap one, we didn’t stop fighting or stop believing.
"Barcelona was our best result as a team last year so you never know what can happen this year. It’s a track we know really well because of testing, but of course, the car has changed a lot since the pre-season and it will be interesting to feel the difference the upgrades have made."
