James Vowles shares heartwarming message after Carlos Sainz's Baku podium

James Vowles has shared a heartwarming message with fans of the Williams Formula 1 team after Carlos Sainz clinched his first podium finish at the outfit, which also marked the first podium under Vowles's leadership.

"I’ve been fortunate to have a few podiums in my career, but this is one I’ll remember forever," Vowles wrote. "We earned this together as a team - a team that, in recent years, has been at the back, fighting just to survive, and now has battled its way back into this position."

Sainz started the race from second on the grid, alongside polesitter Max Verstappen. While he managed to maintain his position for some time, he ultimately lost the position to Mercedes' George Russell after he pitted on lap 28.

"Carlos delivered a phenomenal race — an exceptional drive from start to finish, and a joy to watch," the team chief continued. "You could see and hear just how much it meant to him. I believe in positive momentum, and this gives Carlos a real foundation to build on."

Alex Albon's race at the Baku City Circuit told a different story. After showing great pace throughout the practice sessions, the Thai-British driver crashed during qualifying leaving him 20th. After starting 19th following Haas driver Esteban Ocon's disqualification from qualifying, Albon was then hit with a 10-second penalty for a collision with Franco Colapinto. He finished 13th with the penalty applied after the race.

Carlos Sainz, Williams, Alexander Albon, Williams, James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

"With Alex, sometimes you just have those days. He absolutely had the pace — we’ve seen it all weekend — but after that early incident in qualifying, it was always going to be difficult. Still, he fought back and finished close to the points.

"For now, I can’t wait to get back to the factory on Monday with the trophy and feel the roof come off the place. This result is a reward for the incredible dedication of the entire workforce, who give so much of their lives to this team."

Vowles joined Williams as team principal at the start of 2023 after a 13-year stint at Mercedes.