From dream to reality as Sainz delivers first Williams podium in the Vowles era

Finally, a great weekend! Carlos Sainz left Baku all smiles and his bright eyes reflected the happiness felt by the entire team. Williams has not been seen on the podium for a long time. In the fact the previous one dated back over four years to when Russell finished second in a soaking wet 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. So podiums have pretty much been pipe dreams. Carlos began by making the most of an unpredictable qualifying on Saturday when red flags and rivals crashing out helped secure him a spot on the front row. Then he produced a flawless performance on Sunday, never putting a foot wrong, beaten only by the brilliance of Verstappen and second placed Russell, who managed his hard tyres perfectly to run a long first stint.

Carlos was delighted, with enough energy after getting out of the car to run and jump into the arms of his happy crew. The Spaniard had been optimistic after pre-season testing in Bahrain, but for a variety of reasons, the first two-thirds of the season didn't deliver anything special, neither in terms of results nor in comparison to his team-mate. In fact, before Baku, Alex Albon had racked up 70 points, over four times more than Carlos' 16.  He finished in the points in eleven races compared to the Spaniard's seven. However, in Baku, the stars failed to align for the Thai driver, but everything clicked into place for Sainz, who once again lived up to his nickname of “Smooth Operator” for the way he managed all 51 laps. This was also a major result for the team led by James Vowles, it being the first podium under his leadership. He was even congratulated by his former boss Toto Wolff. The English engineer is working hard to lead Williams up the rankings and the first step is to become the “best of the rest,” targeting fifth place in the Constructors' Championship. With seven races to go, Williams is 29 points ahead of the ever-improving Racing Bulls, who have picked up 36 points from the past five races, while Aston Martin has been stuck on 62 for the past two races. There's a long way to go, but Vowles' team has what it takes to reach its goal, especially with a newly invigorated Sainz, while the Baku result will be a great boost to the whole organisation.

There are two historical footnotes that make Sainz's performance even more significant. The Spaniard has become only the second driver ever to make it to the podium with all three of Formula 1's most legendary teams – Ferrari, McLaren and Williams. The only other driver to do so was Alain Prost, who went further, actually winning races with all three. He might have even made it three world titles, but for Senna's revenge-fuelled move at Suzuka in 1990.
Carlos's top three finish is also the first for the team since its founder, Sir Frank Williams died on 28 November 2021.

P.S. Hands up if, at the start of the season you guessed that a Sainz podium with Williams would come before a Hamilton one with Ferrari. The thought might well have crossed Carlos' mind, but ever the gentleman, he probably dismissed it with a barely noticeable smile.