Williams anticipates a new Sainz from Singapore
Although Williams and Carlos Sainz have gone through several ups and downs during the season, the podium in Azerbaijan heals many wounds and forecasts a more promising future. At least that's what James Vowles, the team's director, believes.
The season of Williams has been marked by two main trends. The positive one, led by a competitive car and a usually effective Alexander Albon. The negative one, marked by numerous team errors and the bad streak of Carlos Sainz.
However, a podium cures everything, and the one achieved by the Spanish driver in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix not only changes the perspective of many regarding Williams but also the mood and motivation of the team itself.
"Now I understand why all this happened: because the first podium had to come this way"
The well-deserved reward
At least that's how James Vowles has expressed it, stating that the podium in Baku will propel the team into a new phase of its growth.
"I have been lucky enough to achieve some podiums in my career, but I will remember this one forever. We earned it together as a team. A team that, in recent years, has been behind, barely fighting to survive, and now is doing so to return to this position," he initially expressed, before personalizing it in Carlos Sainz.
"He had a phenomenal race, an exceptional drive from start to finish, it was a pleasure to watch him," points out the director of the British team. "You could see and hear how much it meant to him. He wanted to achieve a great result like this since the beginning of the year. You could see it was in the cards, but it never materialized for one reason or another."
"I believe in positive momentum, and this gives Carlos a real foundation to build on. Suddenly, it boosts your confidence and momentum and allows you to step forward, that's what I wanted for Carlos. I think he needed it," reiterates James Vowles, who anticipates a Sainz more similar to the one we saw at McLaren and Ferrari.
"We all needed it as a team. It simply shows the world that this is where we are and that this is the journey we are embarking on together. For Carlos, I think it is fundamentally a confirmation of the decisions he made a year ago," reiterates the British engineer.
A shared success
The podium of Carlos Sainz has been very personalized in the Madrid driver, but the truth is that every member has felt it as their own. That also includes Alexander Albon, who despite having a bad Sunday in Baku celebrated his teammate's success as if it were his own.
"This is what I love about this team, we are exactly like this. Before I knew it, Alex [Albon] literally jumped out of the car and was right behind me! He wants this team to succeed and was there to celebrate it by our side," says James Vowles.
"I can't wait to get back to the factory with the trophy and feel how the roof of the place comes down. This result is a reward for the incredible dedication of the entire workforce, who give a large part of their lives to this team," he concludes.
Carlos Sainz has also wanted to share the responsibilities, stating that he is very proud of everyone at Williams for overcoming a very difficult year. We have shown everyone the huge step we took compared to last year.
"We are on the rise and in the right direction. Unfortunately, we had a lot of bad luck and incidents. Now I understand why all this happened: because the first podium had to come this way," concluded Carlos Sainz, who hopes to start a new, much more successful phase from Singapore onwards.
Fotos: Williams Racing
