P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Carlos Sainz will be second on the grid for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, earning the position fair and square.
Carlos Sainz expressed his satisfaction with securing the second spot on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix grid, stating that it confirms his strong qualifying performances despite a challenging season. Sainz briefly held provisional pole position in Baku before being overtaken by Max Verstappen, marking his best qualifying outcome since joining Williams from Ferrari. This achievement represents Williams’ most promising result since George Russell’s second place at the rain-affected 2021 Belgian GP, and the team’s best starting position in a race since Lance Stroll’s second place at the 2017 Italian GP. Sainz has been evenly matched with teammate Alex Albon in qualifying, maintaining an 8-8 head-to-head record and edging Albon by a mere 0.026s, while Albon’s Q1 crash will see him start from the back of the grid. Reflecting on his performance, Sainz emphasized his strong qualifying form and confidence in the team’s speed, aiming for a podium finish in the upcoming race to deliver Williams their first podium of the season.
