Carlos Sainz celebrated his third-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the best podium of his career after a strong performance in Baku. This milestone marked the first podium of his time with Williams, showcasing the team’s significant progress.
Sainz’s Reaction to His Podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
A chaotic qualifying session saw Sainz secure second place on the starting grid, just behind race winner Max Verstappen. He capitalized on this advantage to achieve his first podium finish for Williams. This success came after a challenging period in which Sainz faced setbacks and minor errors following his departure from Ferrari, where Lewis Hamilton replaced him and finished eighth in this race.
In the moments after the race, Sainz expressed his joy over team radio, calling the achievement the
best podium of my career, and not the last
, emphasizing how everything aligned perfectly that day. He added,
Honestly, I cannot describe how happy I am, how good this feels,
and noted that the feeling surpassed even his first career podium, which he earned at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix with McLaren. He praised the team’s hard work throughout the season and highlighted that when speed meets flawless execution, remarkable results follow. He stressed,
Today, we nailed the race, not one mistake, and we managed to beat a lot of cars that yesterday I wasn’t expecting to beat.
Williams team principal James Vowles has consistently said the team is focusing on the 2026 season, but this achievement stands as the clearest sign that Williams is on a positive trajectory much sooner than anticipated.
Additional Perspectives from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw a dramatic race with Verstappen claiming victory ahead of George Russell, and Carlos Sainz securing a commendable third place. This podium finish marked Williams’ first since Belgium in 2021 and Sainz’s first podium since Abu Dhabi in 2024, signaling a turning point for both driver and team.
Reflecting on the team’s progress and his personal journey, Sainz stated,
I’m extremely proud of everyone at Williams for pushing through a very difficult year,
and remarked on the large strides they’ve made compared to the prior season. Despite ongoing challenges and misfortunes that have made it difficult to convert pace into results, he recognized that this podium was well-deserved and long-awaited.
He reflected philosophically, explaining,
“It’s just life. Life just sometimes brings you those bad moments to give you a very nice one,”
adding,
Life lesson is to keep believing, keep trusting yourselves, your team around you, your procedures, everything that you’re doing, because sooner or later, it always pays off.
The result not only highlights Sainz’s resilience but also confirms that Williams is steadily climbing toward effectiveness and competitiveness in Formula 1, suggesting more promising performances could be on the horizon.
