Carlos Sainz eyes turning shock front-row into first Williams podium.
The former Ferrari driver was on course for a stunning pole position after crashes for Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri disrupted a chaotic final part of a drama-filled qualifying in Baku.
20 Sep 2025
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Carlos Sainz is eyeing a first podium for Williams after securing a shock second place on the grid at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "Very happy, We've nailed the qualifying today. Every time being on the right tyre at the right time and putting together some very strong laps,” Sainz said.

"Of course the moment that a top car put a lap together we were always going to be those four or five tenths behind, but it was only one of them, and it was Max - no surprise. For the rest, we managed to beat them. We're in P2, which is great news. I've been putting good laps together this year in qualifying; it hasn't been an issue or my weakness at all.”

“Again we proved that there is speed in this car and delivering in qualifying when it counts. "Unfortunately, the year in races and in points is not going the way we want but as long as the speed is there, like today proves, the good races will come and I'm not worried.” On Sunday's race, Sainz added: "I'm going to give it my all to give Williams a first podium. We'll see.”

‘Eyeing a first podium for Williams’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/108214...illiams-podium


Ferrari reveal Baku 'confusion' after disastrous F1 qualifying
Charles Leclerc crashed in Q3 and will start 10th, Lewis Hamilton eliminated in Q2, starting 12th.
21 Sep 2025
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Fred Vasseur has revealed Ferrari's confusion in a disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying after Charles Leclerc's crash and Lewis Hamilton's early exit. Ferrari had shown strong pace throughout practice in Baku, topping FP2 with Hamilton ahead of Leclerc, and reinforced that in FP3, but things went wrong in qualifying.

The team split tyre strategies in the second segment, with Leclerc taking mediums and Hamilton softs, but a mistake at Turn 1 from Leclerc brought out yellow flags, which forced Hamilton to abort. Eventually, Hamilton was eliminated in 12th with Leclerc knocking his team-mate out, as the Monegasque continued his bid for a fifth straight pole.

‘Ferrari's confusion’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-re...-f1-qualifying


Sainz Defies Baku Chaos, Parks Williams on Front Row
Alex Albuquerque
Sep 20, 2025
Fastest Lap

Carlos Sainz didn’t just survive Baku’s madness — he steered straight through it and parked a Williams on the front row. In a qualifying session that was repeatedly torn up and restarted — six red flags, a record for an F1 quali — Sainz owned the moment until the final minutes, when Max Verstappen did what Max Verstappen tends to do. Pole to the Red Bull. P2 to a beaming Sainz and a resurgent Williams. This was a session that kept thinning the herd. Lewis Hamilton fell in Q2. Championship leader Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc both found the wall in Q3. Lando Norris clipped Turn 15 and limped out of the fight. Through it all, Sainz played the game Williams needed him to play: out early, banker lap in, head down while the others blinked. For a solid stretch, he was sitting on provisional pole for good reason.

“Very happy. Honestly, we’ve nailed qualifying today,” Sainz said afterward, his voice more satisfied than surprised. “Right tyre, right time, strong laps. When a top car threaded it together, we knew we’d be a few tenths off — and it was Max. But we beat the rest. P2 is great news.” It’s no secret Sainz has been sharper over one lap than his race results have shown this year, and he didn’t shy away from that contrast. “I’ve been delivering in qualifying when it counts. The races and points haven’t gone the way we want, but the speed is there. The good results will come. I’m not worried.”

The target now is simple: podium. The opportunity is real. Track position in Baku can swing a Sunday, particularly with a car that’s tidy on the straights and obedient in the braking zones. And Williams has a subtle ace up its sleeve: Sainz kept back two fresh sets of hard tyres, the compound that’s expected to be the day’s workhorse. Team principal James Vowles, who’s spent much of the season chasing tyre preparation gremlins in qualifying, credited the garage for a clean execution at a circuit that punishes hesitancy.

‘Baku’s madness — he steered straight through it’;

https://fastestlap.com/news/sainz-de...-on-front-row/


Lewis Hamilton Reveals What Went Wrong in Ruined Baku Qualifying
Sep 20, 2025
Nelson Espinal Newsweek
Rock Hill Herald

Hamilton looked to get his season going in Baku, aiming for his first potential podium finish with the Scuderia. Instead, he is once again on the back foot for the start of the race, though this time it was the tire choice that cost him.

"The medium tire was just much quicker," Hamilton told the media after qualifying. "The team chose to run me on the medium in Q2, and Charles was meant to run it second run in Q2, but then, because everyone else wasn't out on them, [we] opted to keep it, and then all the top 10 basically had three mediums.”

"We knew that the medium was quicker by, they said it was about three-tenths or something like that, and it felt great, and we should have run it in Q2. One of the things that kind of factored into it was a bit of direction the team were pushing for us to go with some of the setup, that didn't feel as good as [F]P2," the seven-time champion added.

‘What Went Wrong’;

https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/...mainstage_card


Carlos Sainz sets clear Azerbaijan GP target as ‘huge advantage’ emerges
20 Sep 2025
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

“Plan for tomorrow, try and stick it in the podium,” he confirmed. “I think I’m going to give it my best to give Williams that first podium [sic]. If it’s possible, great. And if it’s not, we will see.”

Reacting to Sainz’s front row achievement, Williams team principal James Vowles told Sky F1: “What I’m happy about is the team’s done brilliant work over the last 10 days. We have not been good in qualifying, getting the tyres ready and working.”

“And this weekend, the standout for me is that every time we’ve gone out, [F]P1 to qualifying, first lap, we can get that tyre working. So quick car and good result, and well done to Carlos. You saw out there how tricky it is. Brilliant, brilliant driver.”

“Plan for tomorrow, try and stick it in the podium”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...huge-advantage


Things that led to Hamilton's horrendous day at Baku following his pace-setting performance on Friday
21 Sep 2025
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

On the back of a highly encouraging practice day at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton endured an incredibly tough day at Baku, to start from the midfield on Sunday.

The British and the Monegasque driver posted impressive lap times in Q1, but their session started to go wrong in Q2. On their initial runs Leclerc went wide, wrecking his lap but also his team mate’s as Hamilton was forced to abort thanks to the resultant yellow flags.

Coming back out as the clock ticked down, Leclerc did enough to make Q3 on Pirelli's medium tyres. However, Hamilton was left out on his worn soft tyres, and the seven-time world champion was unable to make it out of Q2. All eyes were set on Leclerc, but the Monegasque, who always goes well at Baku, crashed just as the rain started to fall in Q3, bringing out the red flags and failing to set a lap time.

‘Hamilton was left out on his worn soft tyres’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/27807


Sainz will ‘give it my all’ in Baku to claim maiden Williams podium
20 Sep 2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Even as he started his final lap, Sainz sensed the potential for a remarkable result. “I think our simulation said at the time maybe only Max and Lando could beat us. So I was thinking about a P3. In the end, it was only Max… It had to be Max!” he said with a wry smile.

“But, in general, I thought as soon as I started my lap at the end, I was actually coming very quick. I was like three or four tenths up on my lap. In one way, I was thinking, great, because this might even confirm or achieve pole, but then I was thinking the leaders are going to be even quicker, no? And that’s exactly what happened.”

Now, with a prime starting position, Sainz is laser-focused on converting his P2 into a podium, a feat Williams last achieved – in normal circumstances – in Baku with Lance Stroll’s third place in 2017. “I'm going to give it my all to give Williams a first podium. We'll see,” he vowed.

‘Give it my all’;

https://f1i.com/news/548900-sainz-wi...ms-podium.html


Charles Leclerc blames Ferrari tyre call for 2025 Azerbaijan GP qualifying shocker
Four-time polesitter at Baku City Circuit crashed out on Saturday
20 Sep 2025
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Charles Leclerc blames a Ferrari tyre call for his qualifying shocker at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP by criticising a decision to run the medium, as he crashed out at the Baku City Circuit on September 20.

‘Ferrari tyre call’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/cha...fying-shocker/