The streets of Baku witnessed a moment of genuine warmth between former Ferrari teammates on Sunday, as Charles Leclerc expressed his delight at seeing Carlos Sainz return to the podium with a third-place finish at the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Sainz, who has endured a challenging start to the 2025 season, finally broke his podium drought in spectacular fashion, finishing behind race winner Max Verstappen and second-placed George Russell. The Spaniard‘s performance was a testament to his resilience after what Leclerc described as a run of bad luck.
Speaking after the F1 Azerbaijan GP, Leclerc was effusive in his praise for his former teammate Sainz, revealing the depth of their continued friendship beyond their time together at Ferrari.
“I’m really happy for him,” Leclerc said when asked about Sainz’s podium. “I mean, obviously, we are travelling to basically all the races together, so we’ve had time to talk and he’s been so unlucky since the beginning of the year and I don’t think it was ever a lack of speed or whatsoever. I think it was more a fortune thing, which luckily today he overcame and I’m very happy to see him on the podium.”
The comments highlight the close bond and respect that remains between the two drivers, who spent several seasons as teammates at Ferrari before Sainz’s departure. Despite now racing for different teams, the pair continue to travel together to race weekends, maintaining a friendship that transcends the competitive nature of F1.
A race of contrasting fortunes
The F1 Azerbaijan GP proved to be a race of two halves for both Sainz and Leclerc. The Williams driver started from second position on the grid, behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen, and drove a controlled race to secure his first podium finish of what has been a frustrating season.
Leclerc, meanwhile, had a more eventful afternoon. The Monégasque driver made several impressive overtakes throughout the race, including passes on Lando Norris and battling with Yuki Tsunoda in the closing stages. However, he was unable to match Sainz’s pace and ultimately finished behind his former teammate, in P9.
Breaking the luck barrier
Leclerc’s assessment that Sainz’s struggles have been down to fortune rather than performance will resonate with many who have followed the Spaniard’s season. Despite showing competitive pace throughout the opening rounds of 2025, Sainz had been unable to convert that speed into results, falling victim to mechanical issues, strategic miscalculations, and racing incidents.
The Azerbaijan podium represents a turning point, with Sainz finally getting the result his performances have deserved. Starting from the front row, he executed a clean race, pitting on Lap 28 to switch from medium to hard tyres and maintaining his position ahead of the charging Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.
A podium earned
Sainz’s third-place finish was hard-earned in the challenging conditions of Baku. With winds buffeting the cars around the street circuit and concerns about incoming rain adding to the complexity, the Spaniard kept his composure throughout. In the closing stages, he successfully managed the gap to Antonelli behind, ensuring he would stand on the podium for the first time in 2025.
The result will provide a significant boost to Sainz’s future aspirations and serves as a reminder of his quality behind the wheel. As Leclerc noted, it was never about lacking speed – simply a case of waiting for fortune to turn in his favour.
