As Ferrari’s seize of Lewis Hamilton was introduced forward of the 2024 season, Carlos Sainz, the person he was about to exchange, was left spending each race win or podium questioning if it could be his final.
With no high seat obtainable for the foreseeable future as Pink Bull and Mercedes determined towards hiring the Spaniard, Sainz discovered refuge at Williams. A difficult restoration venture which he embraced, but additionally a big gamble with no assure the midfield staff would be capable to ship on its promise of turning issues round with staff boss James Vowles and contemporary funding.
Whereas Williams nonetheless has an extended highway to stroll to turn out to be a frontrunning operation once more, the 2025 season confirmed marked progress, with the staff delivering an improved automotive that allowed Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon to take the Grove squad to fifth within the standings.
However to this point it has primarily been Albon drawing the plaudits for the very best season of his profession, with Sainz emphatically caught in his shadow. The Spaniard initially discovered it tougher than anticipated to regulate from Ferrari’s equipment to his new automotive, and in addition bore the brunt of reliability points and operational errors, including a number of driving errors of his personal. It meant Albon went into the Baku weekend on 70 factors – thanks to a few fifth-place finishes – in comparison with Sainz’s 16.
Sainz’s efficiency was nowhere as unhealthy as that scoreline suggests, and he has regularly gotten near Albon on tempo, however frustration was clearly constructing over the dearth of luck.
When requested after his 2024 Abu Dhabi podium on an emotionally charged Ferrari send-off if he would be capable to return to the podium any time quickly along with his new employer, he replied: “That may be a query that I can’t reply. It is unattainable to foretell the long run, unattainable to understand how lengthy it is going to take me and Williams to be again preventing for podium positions.
Carlos Sainz capped off an emotional Ferrari swansong with a podium in Abu Dhabi, questioning if it could be his final in F1
Photograph by: Ferrari
“What I can let you know is that I am as decided as ever to assist that staff to be again the place it belongs. I personally really feel like I belong to be preventing for wins, podiums and high fives in Method 1. I believe I’ve confirmed it these final 4 years as a driver.”
Sainz will not should surprise any longer, as that query was emphatically answered on Sunday within the streets of Baku with a faultless drive from second on the grid, laying the groundwork with an excellent qualifying lap in tough, gusty situations when drivers in higher gear stumbled.
The turbulent 18 months Sainz has skilled go a good distance in the direction of explaining why opening his account for Williams felt even higher than his maiden podium, for McLaren on the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.
“This one means much more simply due to a yr in the past after I put my wager on Williams, and I stated I’m going to this staff as a result of I really consider on this venture, and I really consider that this staff is on the rise,” he stated after soaking within the event – and a copious quantity of Moet.
“I’m very snug on this working setting, additionally very snug with everybody round me. And I’ve really been fairly quick all yr with the automotive. I believe out of everybody that’s modified groups — which isn’t a simple process these days — I’ve been very aggressive from the primary race, very fast, however I didn’t have outcomes with me.”
Few would have anticipated Sainz to take a primary podium for Williams earlier than his Ferrari alternative Hamilton bought his, however that is precisely what has transpired. However whether or not or not a fleeting considered revenge had even briefly crossed his thoughts, Sainz is much too elegant to say so in public.
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“What everybody else does just isn’t my enterprise, to be trustworthy,” he replied when the Hamilton statistic was put to him. “What I care about is that the primary alternative that I needed to rating a podium with Williams, and the primary alternative Williams needed to rating a podium, we took it, we scored it, and there it’s.”
Regardless of benefitting from a mixed-up beginning grid, Sainz was good worth for his podium, with Williams genuinely speedy down the Baku straights, however he’s beneath no phantasm that repeat heroics will likely be powerful this yr.
“I believe this podium is – until one thing loopy occurs – possibly our greatest probability,” he stated. “In all probability Las Vegas will likely be our subsequent greatest monitor to attempt to possibly put collectively a high 5 or a high six, which is what we typically can obtain when every thing goes proper. I’ll combat for it if it comes, such as you’ve seen at present.
“However the remainder, for instance in Qatar, I don’t suppose we are going to rating factors. That’s how a lot our efficiency swings. However then we could have the Austins, the Mexicos. We will likely be a pure midfield automotive the place we are able to possibly get within the factors and hold our championship going.”
However whereas Williams’ focus is firmly on 2026 and past and every thing that occurs now could be only a bonus, the morale increase from Sainz’s maiden Williams rostrum can’t be understated. If the staff has its method, it’s a first, tantalising glimpse of what the long run might maintain and an extra proof that the nine-time world champions have the fitting drivers to information them into a brand new period. Whereas Albon suffered a uncommon shocker of a weekend, he joined the staff saluting Sainz beneath the rostrum.
Photograph by: Clive Rose / Getty Photographs
For Sainz himself, it felt like a tasty reward for some of the character-building intervals of his profession.
“I believe life has taught me many occasions that this typically occurs; that you’ve a run of misfortune or unhealthy performances, however in case you hold working laborious then abruptly life offers you again one thing actually candy like this.”
