Carlos Sainz will start from second place on the grid for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku after making the most of a qualifying session marked by six red flags and light rain. The Williams driver pieced together a perfect lap, also taking advantage of the many incidents that shaped the final session.
“Thank you very much for the support, I’m very happy with this qualifying. We nailed everything, always on the right tyre at the right moment, and put together some really good laps,” Sainz said right after the session. “Probably, whenever a top car puts everything together, we’re always half a second behind, as usual. Today only Max managed that, and it’s no surprise. But I beat all the others, and that’s very good news.”
The Spaniard stressed that single-lap pace has never been an issue for him this season: “Actually, I’ve always done well in qualifying this year, it’s never been a weak point. Today I showed once again that the speed is there and that we can deliver when it counts. Unfortunately, in the races, for one reason or another, things don’t go our way. But the pace is there, and the points and strong races will come.”
With Verstappen ahead and the rest of the top contenders further back than usual, Sainz looks at tomorrow’s race with realism but also a touch of ambition: “The plan is to fight for the podium, and I’ll give everything I have.”
For Sainz and Williams, Baku is therefore a valuable opportunity: to turn an excellent qualifying into a strong result and further prove the team’s progress.
Read also: Azerbaijan GP, FP1: red flag interrupts session. McLaren one-two, Leclerc third.
Main cover photo cdn.williamsf1.tech
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Azerbaijan GP 2025
