Carlos Sainz's Baku podium signals Williams’ gradual return to F1’s front row

Carlos Sainz secured a supremely popular podium for Williams in F1 this past weekend.

The driver has long been one of the most likeable and popular stars in the F1 paddock.

His return to the podium with Williams was a much-welcomed and celebrated success.

But the newfound podium success potentially points to a wider signal of Williams’ gradual return to the front row of F1.

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Carlos Sainz secures epic podium in Baku

The Formula 1 paddock headed to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the latest round in an epic 2025 season.

It is an almost never-ending traveling circus of some of the most advanced machines ever built.

Unlike other F1 circuits, Baku tends to cause absolute chaos – because it is a street circuit.

One misjudged turn or corner can careen you straight into a wall – and that can throw everything else into complete disarray.

And that is exactly what happened this past weekend in Baku at the latest F1 race.

A drawn-out qualifying session saw a record six red flags thrown out on the circuit.

The front row of fastest drivers was also equally unpredictable, although Max Verstappen in pole position might not be much of a shock.

However, Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson, making up the remainder of the front row, were much more of a shock.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 driver George Russell would ultimately finish P2 ahead of Sainz.

But Sainz’s P3 resulted in Williams Racing’s first podium in over four years.

Could Williams finally be back on the front row?

Aside from the incredible result, there is a wider discussion to be had concerning the overall trend.

Does this podium point to Williams moving back to the front row of the F1 grid?

For those who are unaware, Williams is an incredibly important name in the history of F1.

The team won nine titles until the winning streak suddenly slipped into a losing one.

Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alan Jones, Damon Hill and Alain Prost are just a few of the legendary names to have driven for the Williams team.

But aside from the recent utter misery, it appears that the team’s fortunes might finally be changing.

And a lot of that success and fortune is owed to team principal James Vowles.

The Englishman left the Mercedes team to take up his current role back in January 2023.

And Vowles has spent the last couple of years completely rewriting the philosophy and structure of Williams.

For many, his ability to convince Carlos Sainz to join the legendary team from Scuderia Ferrari was massive.

In many people’s eyes, it represented an enormous coup – especially as several rival teams wanted his signature.

Sainz has always been adamant about his belief in the team and its direction under Vowles.

More success could well be on the horizon for Williams in 2026 and beyond – led by Sainz and Vowles.