With his head held high, Carlos Sainz stood on the podium in Baku after a hard-fought weekend, a moment that felt more like defiance than celebration. After many had written off the Spaniard following his Ferrari departure, this was no ordinary third place. It was validation and proof that Sainz could still rise to the occasion.
Carlos Sainz celebrating his podium finish in Baku | Credit: Formula One
Nearly two years on from his masterclass win at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, Sainz had once again reminded Formula One that he is more than just a supporting act. In a sport where the spotlight is ever-changing, Sainz has found redemption in one of the unlikeliest of places: behind the wheel of a Williams.
To see why Baku mattered so much, you need to look back on the years Sainz spent in red building his reputation.
He was never the chosen one at Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc in the other seat, but Sainz made sure to seize every opportunity he could. Silverstone 2022 was his maiden F1 victory, a win that showcased his ability to stay composed and capitalise when it mattered.
Carlos Sainz raced for Ferrari from 2021-2024 | Credit: Formula One
The 2023 F1 season was dominated by Red Bull, with 14 wins in a row from the first race in Bahrain until Monza. Next up was Singapore, where Sainz started from pole and had a tactically brilliant race.
The dramatic final few laps of the race saw a battle for first between Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Sainz made sure to keep Norris close enough behind so that he would use DRS to try to overtake, which kept the two Mercedes drivers behind.
Under the floodlights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Sainz stood tall on the top step of the podium. After his display of sheer skill, his strategic drive put an end to what had been pure Red Bull dominance the entire season. In 2023, Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race, showing just how important this triumph was for his reputation.
Then 2024 came around and it was announced that Hamilton had signed with Ferrari and would begin racing for them in 2025. This meant Sainz was out of the picture and had to find a seat elsewhere.
Carlos Sainz at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix | Credit: Ferrari
It was a shock to many to see him sign with Williams for 2025 and 2026. Williams were a team that consistently sat towards the bottom of the constructors’ standings and Sainz was too good a driver to be a backmarker.
In February 2025, it was time for pre-season testing ahead of the new season. On the second day of testing, it was a surprise to hear that Sainz had topped the timesheets in the Williams.
Despite what those pre-season testing times suggested, those results did not translate into the race format. Once the lights went out in Bahrain, the realisation struck that Williams were still not up to scratch, and Sainz was stuck in the midfield instead of fighting for podiums.
For a driver who spent the last four years at Ferrari, the adjustment has been difficult. Regular Q3 appearances and podium ambitions were gone, with each point feeling like a small achievement.
Carlos Sainz finished third in Baku | Credit: Formula One
Then came Baku, a tight track that will punish even the smallest of mistakes. In qualifying, Sainz was sharp and by the end of the session he was second fastest. This set him up nicely for race day, where he managed to keep up the pace and battle the front of the grid.
As he crossed the chequered flag for a third place finish, it was proof that Sainz’s early season struggles were worth it in the end and this result was vindication that his hard word had paid off.
There is still a long way to go for Sainz and Williams, but Baku may have been the spark they needed. With F1 returning to the Marina Bay Street Circuit this weekend, Sainz has the opportunity to turn this momentum into a movement and prove that this redemption is only the beginning.