Carlos Sainz admits that he "overstepped" in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he tried to push to the limit. The Ferrari driver set provisional pole after the first runs in Q3, but eventually lost out to teammate Charles Leclerc for P1. Instead the Spaniard will line up in fourth, with the Red Bull duo of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen ahead of him in second and third respectively. Sainz acknowledges that a small mistake during his final lap resulted in him ending up where he did. "It's a pity," he told Sky Sports F1 after qualifying. "But at the same time, I think we've done some progress throughout the day, and I was feeling in contention for pole [when], after the last couple of races – especially prior to Monaco – I wasn't. "So [there has been] good progress done. It's what happens when you push to a limit sometimes. You take P1, like I took in Q3 run one, and sometimes you overstep it and clearly, I did overstep it in Q3."
Sainz hopeful for race prospects
Despite losing out on pole, Sainz is feeling positive about what he can achieve in the race. "[There is] still everything to play [for] tomorrow," he added. "Starting position here doesn't matter that much, so we're going to push." When asked whether Ferrari have done anything differently in Baku in terms of setting up the car for race pace as well as pole positions, Sainz explained: "I think we have a pretty strong chance also in the race. "I think it's been neck and neck with Red Bull. Normally [with] Red Bull, 10 laps into a stint, they seem to have a bit better pace, but it's yet to be seen this weekend. "I think is is difficult to kind of predict right now. Long runs on Friday are never long enough to tell us that, but with a good start and smart strategy and driving, I think we can still be on the podium or winning tomorrow."
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