Williams boss James Vowles has hailed the team’s Formula 1‘s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in which Carlos Sainz finished third, as “one I’ll remember forever”.
Sainz bagged the 28th podium of his career, and his first with the Grove-based team, on the streets of Baku, on Sunday.
The 31-year-old delivered a sensational Q3 lap, on Saturday, that earned him his first front row start for Williams alongside Max Verstappen for the 51-lap race.
The Spaniard was apprehensive of coming into the race hoping for a podium slot, but did just that, the result being the team’s first podium in four years.
Vowles, who previously worked with Mercedes amid its most successful era, lauded Sainz’s podium as one that he will cherish more than the ones earned with the Silver Arrows.
“The result is fantastic. I’ve been fortunate to have a few podiums in my career, but this is one I’ll remember forever,” he told Williams’ official website.
“We earned this together as a team – a team that, in recent years, has been at the back, fighting just to survive, and now has battled its way back into this position.
“Carlos delivered a phenomenal race — an exceptional drive from start to finish, and a joy to watch.”
Sainz was signed up to the project at Williams with a promise of a rebuild. That said, his start to his career with the team hasn’t been all that smooth.
But Vowles believes that this podium will open the floodgates of performance and confidence that Sainz needed.
“You could see and hear just how much it meant to him. I believe in positive momentum, and this gives Carlos a real foundation to build on,” he added.
Vowles content with Azerbaijan GP result despite Albon’s messy weekend
Sainz’s team-mate Albon, however, endured a difficult weekend on the streets of Baku.
The Anglo-Thai driver was the first to crash out during Qualifying on Saturday. During the race, he had an unfortunate contact with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and finished the race in 13th place.
That said, while Vowles was disappointed with how Albon’s race panned out, he was looking forward to sharing the trophy Sainz earned with the team at Grove.
“With Alex, sometimes you just have those days. He absolutely had the pace — we’ve seen it all weekend — but after that early incident in Qualifying, it was always going to be difficult,” added Vowles.
“Still, he fought back and finished close to the points. For now, I can’t wait to get back to the factory on Monday with the trophy and feel the roof come off the place.
“This result is a reward for the incredible dedication of the entire workforce, who give so much of their lives to this team.”
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