The story behind the unicorn sticker Carlos Sainz carried to the podium
Carlos Sainz carried a unicorn sticker on his helmet in Baku - here's why.
There was a hidden story behind Carlos Sainz’s first podium with Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Sainz stood on the podium for the first time in Williams colours following an outstanding drive to third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell in Baku.
The Spaniard had been carrying a special ‘mascot’ on the back of his helmet during the weekend, which turned out to be something of a lucky charm.
In the cool-down room, race-winner Verstappen was heard asking Sainz: “You have a new mascot on the back of your helmet, Carlos?”
“It’s a unicorn! A fan sent us this, I said I would wear it this weekend,” Sainz replied, before Verstappen followed up: “You have to keep it now!”.
In a fan submission to the latest edition of Williams’ ‘Call Carbono’ series, a young fan had asked Sainz whether she should name her toy unicorn “Sparkles or Sprinkles”.
She also requested that Sainz wore a unicorn sticker “on your helmet for the rest of the year”.
While Sainz could not settle on a name, he did stay true to his promise to wear the sticker on his helmet.
‘Mascot’ set for F1 2025 stay
Williams team principal James Vowles playfully paid tribute to Sainz’s ‘mascot’ following the race in Baku.
"There's one more thing that is actually quite special," he said, pointing to the unicorn sticker on the trophy in a video shared by Williams on social media.
“I'm pretty sure either Sparkles or Sprinkles had something to do with this as well at the same time. So, that's staying, I assume, for a little while.”
Sainz, who has endured a challenging first campaign with Williams, went on to add: “Until the end of the year, for sure.”
It marked Williams’ first podium since the washed-out 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, and the first in a race that went the full-distance since the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The podium ended Sainz’s recent scoreless streak and lifted him up from 18th to 12th in the drivers’ standings.
It has also helped Williams consolidate their grasp on fifth place in the constructors’ championship, with the British squad now 29 points clear of Racing Bulls, who sit sixth.
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