Pastor Maldonado couldn't hide his excitement after he made it into Q3 for the first time.
The Venezuelan driver has endured a tough start to life in Formula One, with Williams struggling near the back of the field.
However, on Saturday the team finally got it right, with Maldonado qualifying in ninth spot for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
"I am really happy for the team and all the guys," he said.
"We've tried really hard to find a good balance all weekend.
"Yesterday's practice, particularly the first session, was really difficult for me. The car wasn't great so we took a bit of a risk and decided to run the new rear wing in qualifying."
While delighted with his qualifying performance, Maldonado was realistic about the challenge still facing the team.
"The car seems more competitive, but we still need to keep pushing and improve. I am happy today," he added.
Williams technical director Sam Michael was full of praise for the rookie.
"That was a great effort by Pastor today to put Williams back into the top 10 in qualifying," he said.
"The next step is to get some points," added the Australian.
