Mexico City: Sahara Force India delivered a strong qualifying performance on Saturday with Sergio Perez lining up in ninth place just ahead of teammate Nico Hulkenberg for Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Sergio said: “I felt very privileged to be driving at home today and to feel so much support from the fans. They have given me lots of energy and I’m extremely motivated to give them something to celebrate this weekend – that’s the best way to repay them. I think we did a good job today and we are in a competitive position for the race.”

“We were aiming to be the last car on track during Q3 to try and make the most of the track evolution, but in the end it didn’t really make a huge difference. I think eighth was possible, especially when you look at the small gap to Max [Verstappen]. For tomorrow expectations will be high, I know that, but it’s a very positive pressure and I just need to say focussed, work through my usual routine and treat tomorrow as a normal race. The car is working well, we’ve done our homework, and I want to move forward in the race,” he said.

Nico Hülkenberg said: “I think we pretty much got everything we could out of this session. I haven't felt 100% confident with the car, but in those conditions the final lap I did was really good. Our one-lap pace is strong enough to make it into Q3, but I’m feeling better about our long run pace and confident for tomorrow. The weather could play a part: there is a threat of rain, which could mix up the field and make the race really interesting.”

“It's a new track so we don't have as much information compared to other places, which leaves a few question marks going in the race, but hopefully there will be a happy ending for us. It would be a good reward for the fans, as you can feel all the love and attention that we are getting from this amazing crowd. I may not be the home hero here, but I am still getting a lot of support which is an extra boost,” he added.