Sainz dreams of fairytale podium in Baku: Williams on the prowl in F1

Sainz Eyes Dream Podium for Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The driver Carlos Sainz aims for a dream podium for Williams after securing a surprising front row on the starting grid for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Sainz took advantage of one of the most chaotic qualifying sessions of modern times to place second, behind Max Verstappen, who snatched the pole position at the last moment.

I will try to get on the podium. I will give my best to give Williams their first podium. If it’s possible, great. And if not, we’ll see.

Carlos Sainz

Both Sainz and Williams executed the session perfectly. The Spanish driver crossed the line for his first timed lap of Q3 at the right moment to capitalize on the drama unfolding around him, as a light drizzle fell.

His name topped the classification when Charles Leclerc’s accident brought out red flags. Then, he held provisional pole when championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed after the session resumed, leading to another agonizing wait under red flags. In the end, there was time for a final burst of laps, but Sainz managed to improve his original time, only for Verstappen to deny him the pole by 0.4 seconds. Sainz was surprised to still be so high up once the atmosphere calmed down.

Very happy. Honestly, today we nailed the qualifying. Being on the right tire at the right time and completing some very solid laps.

Carlos Sainz

Sainz added that, although he expected a high-performance car to set a fast lap, the team managed to outperform the others and secure second position, which is great news.