Carlos Sainz praised his Williams race engineer, Gaetan Jego, as the hardest worker he has ever collaborated with in Formula 1, following their emotional exchange after Sainz’s third-place finish at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Spanish driver’s first podium with Williams came at the Baku City Circuit, where the intense effort behind the scenes was finally rewarded.
The Story Behind the Emotional Radio Exchange
After the race, during the cooldown lap, Jego became visibly emotional on the team radio. Sainz inquired about his well-being, asking,
“You sound a bit emotional, are you OK?”
James Vowles, Williams team principal, then confirmed the engineer’s feelings:
“Yeah, I can confirm he is.”
Sainz explained that the reaction was the culmination of a challenging year filled with relentless work and determination, both from himself and the entire Williams team. He highlighted the countless hours spent improving the car, including simulator sessions and setup development.
Dedication and Hard Work Behind Williams’ Progress
Reflecting on Jego’s commitment, Sainz told Formula 1,
“He’s an incredibly hardworking guy, probably the hardest worker I’ve ever worked with in Formula 1 – and I’ve worked with a lot of people. I tell you, no one puts more hours than him into this sport and into this life.”
This extraordinary effort had often gone unrewarded on the track, leading to growing frustration for both men.
He continued,
“It’s been a tough year for both of us. You probably don’t see it from the outside but you cannot imagine the amount of hours we put into the car, into the simulator sessions, into the set-up development, into making that car go quicker.”
What the Podium Means for Sainz and the Team
The breakthrough weekend in Baku, which lifted Sainz from 18th to 12th in the driver standings, marked a turning point. The emotional reaction from Jego revealed how deeply invested the team was in this success.
Regarding that moment, Sainz added,
“And then suddenly to come back with a podium and a weekend like that, I think it’s probably caught him in the end. It was good to see. I like it because it means it matters for him as much as it matters to me. And I like working with people that are hard workers and what we do matters [to them] and I could tell it mattered.”
This milestone demonstrates the impact of shared perseverance between driver and engineer and sets the stage for continued growth for Williams in the 2025 season.
