In the end, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes got it together, and the world champion will start a mouth-watering Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the front row, alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and with his title rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull right behind him.

But it could easily have been very different for the seven-time champion, and he knew it.

Hamilton described the situation he was in after qualifying second following a troubled two days in Baku as “a bit overwhelming”.