Vitaly Petrov said he was "really pleased" with 18th place in the Chinese Grand Prix, while the Caterham technical director praised the Russian's growing confidence behind the wheel.
Petrov's third race for the rookie Malaysian team was considered a success, not least because he nearly finished the race on the same lap as the leaders.
Nico Rosberg won for Mercedes, with McLaren duo Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton second and third, respectively.
"I am really pleased with my performance today," Petrov said in comments on the Caterham website. "I think we got as much out of the car as we could and the fact we were on the same lap as the leaders right up until the final lap is a very positive sign."
Petrov said the team was still fine-tuning the car, accruing crucial experience along the way.
"We brought some updates here and they've worked out pretty well. The key for us is to keep pushing, keep bringing new parts to the car and make sure we maintain the momentum we are building up."
The Russian retired from the first race in Melbourne with a steering wheel issue, but bounced back to finish 16th in Caterham's home Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Vitaly had a problem-free afternoon and was putting in good lap times, staying on the lead lap until almost the final lap and with every race he is growing more and more confident in the car and with the team," technical director Mark Smith was quoted as saying.
