Carlos Sainz describes his third place on the Qatar Grand Prix as his proudest day for Williams, as he secured his second podium in his debut season with the staff.
Williams confirmed fifth place within the constructors’ championship because of Sainz’s end on the penultimate spherical, because the Spaniard’s second-half resurgence continued. The Spaniard scored 48 of his 64 factors prior to now seven races, beginning with a podium in Azerbaijan that he then matched in Qatar.
“Baku was a little bit of a reduction as a result of I’d had such a troublesome 10 races,” Sainz mentioned. “I used to be very fast within the first few races, however all the time issues occurring to me. No outcomes coming my method. A type of seasons.
“I believe within the profession of an F1 driver, you all the time have years the place, for some motive, issues don’t come your method. Doesn’t matter if it’s luck, racing incidents, no matter. It simply by no means comes collectively.
“However Baku was a reduction – as quickly as I obtained an opportunity to battle for a podium, I took it, and I gave the staff the rostrum that I felt we would have liked and we deserved. Right here, it is extra a mixture of onerous work and understanding.
“Extraordinarily pleased with the staff as a result of we have additionally struggled a bit at first of the 12 months with race execution, staff calls, quali execution. This weekend, everybody’s executed an ideal job. Additionally, the pit stops had been good. Everybody was good, and it is precisely what all of us wanted.
“I believe it’s my proudest day in Williams. Happiest? Possibly Baku, as a result of I used to be simply so glad to get my first podium for the staff. Along with reduction … That is simply… I believe I really feel actually pleased with everybody. Simply very pleased with myself, however primarily the entire staff for the weekend that we’ve executed. Extra proud than glad – clearly, additionally glad.”
Sainz says the delight stems from how uncompetitive Williams anticipated to be, and the way the staff circled its type on comparable circuits.
“I’m so glad. So pleased with the entire staff for what we’ve executed right now as a result of we got here into this weekend pondering it was going to be essentially the most troublesome weekend of the 12 months and all of the sudden, we got here out with a podium out of it,” he mentioned.
“We nailed the race tempo. I used to be tremendous fast, a lot faster than anticipated. We nailed the technique. We nailed the tire administration, nailed the beginning, nailed all of the defending and administration, and that introduced us an surprising podium. I can’t be extra proud.
“That’s why we obtained every part proper right now. We had a tricky first half of the season the place issues didn’t come collectively, however we improved in so many areas throughout the 12 months. Right this moment, there have been a number of alternatives on the market to seize, and we grabbed all of them by executing an ideal race. Actually, I’m over the moon with this podium as a result of I completely didn’t count on it.”
