Carlos Sainz considers his career with Williams as a personal mission, aiming to restore the team to victory in Formula 1. The Spanish driver secured his first podium for Williams with a remarkable third-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marking a significant milestone in his pursuit of success with the squad.
This podium achievement confirmed Sainz’s choice to join Williams after he lost his Ferrari seat at the conclusion of 2024 to Lewis Hamilton, despite having opportunities with Sauber/Audi and Alpine. Rather than feeling vindicated, Sainz sees this result as motivation to lead Williams back to race-winning form.
Sainz Describes Williams as His Committed Endeavor
Reflecting on his journey, Sainz emphasized the depth of his commitment to Williams. Speaking with Sky Sports F1 after the Azerbaijan race, he said,
“For me, the vindication is not so much towards moving to Williams. I always believed in this project.”
He further expressed that this team represents his long-term focus:
“If I manage to bring Williams back to being competitive and winning races, it’s everything that I care about and I will put the next three years of my life all my effort into doing that and committing to that.”
He also voiced confidence in his ability to contribute to the team’s progress, stating,
“I also know that I can do it, because I think I’m good at bringing the team forward.”
The Need for a Breakthrough Result Becomes Clear
Before his breakthrough at Baku, Sainz had struggled in his debut season with Williams. Despite a formidable background as a four-time grand prix winner with Ferrari, his first year saw limited success and frustration. Up to that point, he had accumulated only 16 points and remained largely overshadowed by teammate Alex Albon, who collected 70 points with consistent top-five finishes.
Sainz’s 15 points from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix pushed him to 12th place in the drivers’ standings, lifting his total to 31 points. This performance provided tangible proof of his adaptability and pace with the new team, and offered a crucial morale boost.
Commenting on his season so far, Sainz said,
“It’s more vindication of the 14 races that I’ve had, which is good pace, good adaptation.”
He went on,
“I think out of all of the ones that have changed teams, I think I’m the one that adapted the quickest to the car, but the results were not coming, so I had no proof.”
He admitted that this year had been “extremely frustrating” due to a mix of issues both in and out of his control, but the podium at Baku provided the breakthrough he required.
“Finally a result on a day like today where I could show the pace is what I needed,”
he added.
Looking ahead, Sainz reiterated his faith in their chances:
“I always said to the team, whenever the first chance that we get to fight for a podium, as long as nothing happens to us and we can score the podium, I’ll be happy. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Williams Leadership Sees Podium as a Turning Point
Williams team principal James Vowles also acknowledged the significance of Sainz’s podium. Speaking about their conversation prior to the race weekend, Vowles said,
“He and I spoke on Thursday, we had dinner together.”
He added,
“This is a restart point where we start and move forward on our season. He needs this, and you’ll see now the positive momentum it generates.”
With renewed confidence and momentum, both Carlos Sainz and Williams appear set to pursue stronger results in the remaining races, aiming to rebuild the team’s competitiveness and restore its standing within Formula 1.
