Carlos Sainz took his first podium with Williams in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and in doing so, joins esteemed company in Alain Prost with a unique Formula 1 record.
The Spaniard’s third place in Baku was the first appearance on the rostrum for his new employer, and the team’s first since George Russell’s second place in Belgium in 2021.
It was the first top-three finish for the Grove-based squad in full race conditions for eight years, when Lance Stroll took third, also in Baku.
For Sainz, it was a watershed moment, truly kickstarting his “life project” with Williams, the 31-year-old’s experience bring invaluable nous to the once-great outfit.
Sainz has been around the block a fair bit in his F1 career, and has had the honour of being part of some of the most prestigious and successful teams in F1 history.
With McLaren, Sainz took his first F1 podium in Brazil in 2019, one of two with the British giants.
Joining Ferrari in 2021, Sainz went on to score 25 top-three finishes, including four wins, his maiden triumph coming at the British Grand Prix a year later.
And having joined Williams this year, amid his ousting from the Scuderia in favour of Lewis Hamilton, Sainz completed a hat-trick of having driven for the three longest-running F1 teams.
The Baku podium meant Sainz joins Prost as the only two men who have scored podiums with all three of those teams.
Prost’s trajectory was also similar, taking his first McLaren podium on his debut with the team, a victory in Rio de Janiero in 1984.
After infamously leaving the team amid his fraught rivalry with Ayrton Senna, Prost joined Ferrari in 1990 for a two-year spell, and again, took victory in Brazil for his first podium appearance in red.
A one-year hiatus in 1992 saw Prost negotiate a deal with Williams for 1993, where he would spend just one year, taking his fourth and final World Championship before retiring from the sport. His first victory for the team was another win, in his first race, at Kyalami.
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