Carlos Sainz makes history with Williams with an unforgettable podium

The sprint and leap with which he rushed toward his team the moment he stepped out of the car left no doubt: this was no ordinary third place. It marked Sainz’s first podium driving the WF47, and his first since Abu Dhabi 2024.

“I can’t describe how good this feels—it’s even better than the very first podium of my career,” said the jubilant British team driver after the race.

Behind this third place lie 16 previous races of hard work and results that hadn’t lived up to expectations. That’s why the Madrid-born driver, known for his self-demanding nature and for rarely overindulging in celebrations, allowed himself to let go this Sunday in Baku. He now feels far more hopeful about achieving big results with the Grove-based team in the remainder of the season.

“It’s been a very tough year with many setbacks, but now I understand why it had to happen this way—the first podium had to come like this.”

This weekend, only Verstappen was able to deny MADRING’s ambassador pole position in qualifying, and on Sunday only a Russell undercut pushed him down to third. The Spaniard delivered a stellar performance, showing strong pace throughout the race. Notably, his teammate—always ahead in points this season—has not managed to step onto the podium, while Sainz seized the opportunity the first time Williams showed genuine pace in Azerbaijan.

The road to this Baku podium has not been easy for the former Ferrari driver, who in 2024 claimed nine podiums and two titles in Australia and Mexico with the Italian team. But challenges have never stopped him—no obstacle has proven too great. Sainz has now secured titles with three different teams: McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams.

For all these reasons, the F1 Spanish Grand Prix is proud of its ambassador and celebrates alongside his team this podium that is already part of history.