Carlos Sainz claimed his first podium with Williams by finishing third at the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
This was a significant first podium for both the Spanish driver and Williams after a long period of longing for the top. The last time Carlos Sainz stepped on the podium, he was still driving for Ferrari. However, the hunger for a podium at the Williams front was even stronger.
The Grove-based team’s last podium from a full grand prix came in 2017 with Lance Stroll. Another podium was taken in the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix with George Russell; however, the race was constantly disrupted by the rain.
Ever since Sainz moved to Williams, many doubts have circulated in the Formula 1 world about whether he and the team have the capacity to reach the top. Therefore, the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is engraved in the F1 community’s memory as a relief for both Sainz and Williams.
A new mindset that paid off
When asked whether any self-doubt entered his head after passing many weekends were things weren’t clicking, Sainz admitted how tough the first half of the season had been. Before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Sainz’s best race result in the Williams suit was P8.
Nevertheless, this did not stop the Spanish driver to enter the second half with optimism. Facing setbacks on his way, Sainz returned to tracks with even more energy, which eventually secured him a podium.
“It was certainly very tough, probably one of the toughest psychologically moments of my career in terms of how much setbacks I had to deal with through the season.”
“For me it was particularly tough after the summer break because I came back from the break full of energy, full of motivation, just refreshed with a bit of a new mindset, new approach.
“I did two strong qualities in Baku and Monza, I was running still in good positions both in Baku and Monza, and in both times consecutively the same pattern that happened in the first half of the season. So I was like, okay, I’ve changed my approach, I am full of energy, and now two consecutive setbacks to bring me down again.
“So it was certainly not easy at all and very frustrating. I think you were starting to see it also in me, how frustrating I was starting to get. But I kept the foot down, and in the end, the result paid off.
“I think in that sense, just happy and proud of resilience because to come back from the summer break with refreshed energy and get two big punches in the stomach and have to do it all over again was tough.”
A clear goal ahead
Since joining Williams, one thing Sainz emphasized in the interviews was that both his and Williams’ speed potential has always been there. The Spaniard would constantly mention that he just needed to put everything together and convert the team’s underlying pace to a stunning result like Baku.
The Spanish driver even described this podium with Williams as better than his first ever podium in Formula 1. With the relief of securing a podium at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Sainz’s goal is clear: repeating the potential and the success he showcased in Baku.
“I think realistically speaking, whenever we put a higher downforce wing on our car, we seem to be a bit less competitive. If you see all of our great results, they have come with low downforce rear wings, low downforce tracks that our car tends to respond better to.
“That doesn’t mean that I will not try, perform, and deliver a weekend here like I did in Baku. I think that has to be my intention from here to the end of the year.
“Baku certainly was a big boost in motivation. I would even say a relief because it just confirmed the narrative that I was saying the whole year, that speed is not a problem and that I just need to put together weekends. Hopefully, that serves as an example, and I can follow that example until the end of the year.”
