Carlos Sainz asked for it over the radio as soon as he returned to the garage after his first Q3 attempt, which had given him a provisional pole for the Baku Grand Prix. “You can start dancing to see if it rains a bit harder, no?”
A joke with his engineer, but perhaps, deep down, also a small hope. Because finding yourself at the top with a Williams doesn’t happen every day. And when it does, you truly hope that the dance of the rain can give you a gift. But it was just the beginning of the session, with a thousand possibilities still ahead.
Yet, for a moment, luck seems to really turn. The rain dance seems to have an effect. First, Leclerc triggers a red flag, and then Piastri crashes into the wall, forcing Verstappen to abort a lap that would surely have earned him another pole.
For most of Q3, destiny seems to favor Carlos Sainz and Williams.
There is that precious feeling among fans that this could be another one of those special days. One of those unpredictable days capable of giving unique moments to those who truly love this sport. The underdog claims pole, the team that usually struggles, but today, finally, can celebrate in an unexpected way.
The final Q3 lap is to be lived breath by breath. Because the last word is never spoken, and perhaps the rain dance can work again. In the end, pole goes to Max Verstappen, but at Williams, the celebration is perhaps even bigger. Carlos Sainz is second, ahead of most of the big names. And so, yes, the rain dance perhaps worked a little. Or, more simply, it is the result of the work of a driver and a team who, despite all difficulties, never gave up.
Read also: Sainz second in Baku: «The speed is there, now I want the podium»
Main cover photo cdn.williamsf1.tech
Inside photo x.com
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Azerbaijan GP 2025
