Carlos Sainz delivered one of the feel-good stories of the 2025 Formula 1 season by claiming his first podium in Williams colors at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – and the Spaniard couldn’t hide just how much it meant.
After stunning the paddock with a P2 in qualifying, Sainz kept his composure on Sunday to bring home third behind Max Verstappen and George Russell.
For the four-time race winner, this wasn’t just another trophy. This one, he insisted, was the sweetest of all.
“Vamos! Vamos! Best podium in my career! You cannot imagine how this tastes. Thank you so much. This is my first Smooth Operation in Williams!” Sainz roared over team radio as he crossed the finish line, clearly overwhelmed.
In his interview in parc fermé with host James Hinchcliffe, he doubled down on that emotion.
“I cannot describe how happy I am and how good this feels. It tastes even better than my first ever podium,” he enthused.
For Williams, Sainz’s third place was historic in itself – their first full-distance Grand Prix podium since Baku 2017 with Lance Stroll. After years in the wilderness, the British team has finally found stability, and Sainz’s performance is a clear symbol of that progress.
“We have been fighting hard all year and we proved when we had the speed, we had it all year and everything comes together and we can do some amazing things together,” Sainz said.
“We nailed the race, not one mistake and we managed to beat a lot of cars yesterday that we wouldn't have expected to beat.”
The podium haul added 15 crucial points to both Sainz’s tally and Williams’ constructors’ campaign. The Spaniard jumped to 12th in the drivers’ championship with 31 points, while Williams cemented fifth in the standings, a healthy 39 points clear of Aston Martin.
It hasn’t been an easy road. Since leaving Ferrari at the end of 2024, Sainz’s first year with Williams has been littered with bad luck, on-track incidents, and lean results.
Before Baku, he had just 16 points to his name, which is why his podium feels like a redemption of sorts for the Spaniard.
“I'm extremely proud of everyone at Williams for pushing through a very difficult year,” he said. “We have proven to everyone the massive step we took compared to last year.
“We are on the rise and the right direction. Unfortunately with me we had a lot of bad luck and incidents. Now I understand why it all happened because the first podium needed to come like this.
“It's just life. Life sometimes brings you these bad moments to give you a very nice one. This tastes much better than any other thing I was expecting.
“It's a life lesson to keep believing and trusting yourself and your team around you because sooner or later it always pays off.”
For Sainz, Sunday’s champagne felt different. It wasn’t just about crossing the line in third place – it was about proving resilience, reaffirming his own faith, and reminding the world of Williams’ upward trajectory.
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