Williams’ F1 revival underlined by feat they've waited a decade for
Williams have achieved something they have waited a decade for.
With their podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Williams secured another achievement that has been a decade in the making.
Williams have reached 100 points in the constructors’ championship for the first time since the 2016 F1 season, marking a huge milestone in their bid to return to the front of the grid.
This achievement was sealed thanks to Carlos Sainz’s outstanding drive to third place in Baku.
Having claimed a stunning second on the grid in a wild qualifying, Sainz produced a brilliant performance to convert his surprisingly-high grid spot into his first podium since joining Williams at the start of the year.
The 15-point haul took Williams into triple figures for the first time since 2016 - nearly a decade.
Williams now sit on 101 points and have solidified their grip on fifth place in the constructors’ championship, 26 points clear of nearest rivals Racing Bulls in sixth.
The result nearly doubled Sainz’s personal points haul to 31, lifting him from 18th to 12th in the drivers’ standings.
Williams have now scored the most points in a single F1 season since 2016, when they managed 138 points across 21 races.
Podium demonstrates Williams’ journey
Williams hold long-term ambitions of returning to the front of the F1 grid.
Their progress under team principal James Vowles has been hugely encouraging since he joined from Mercedes in 2023.
“I’ve had the pleasure of having many podiums in my career, and this one will stay with me forever. It means a huge amount to me… from where the team was, on our journey to where we’re going,” Vowles told F1TV after Sunday’s race.
“I’ve wanted him [Sainz] to have a great result like this since the beginning of the year. You could see it was on the cards, it just never came together for one reason or another.
“This suddenly builds your confidence and momentum and allows it you to step forward – that’s what I wanted for Carlos.
“I think he definitely needed it. We all needed it as a team, though. It just shows to the world that this is absolutely where we are and this is the journey we’re on together.
“For Carlos, it’s fundamentally, I think, ratification for the decisions he took a year ago.”
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Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
