Sainz gets podium with Williams as Hamilton still seeks one with Ferrari

While Sainz was celebrating a third place, at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, for Williams that he called “even better” than his first in Formula 1, Hamilton said he “couldn’t really care less” about finishing P8, as his wait for a first top-three finish at Ferrari goes on.

Speaking to Sky F1 after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “Definitely disappointed to come away with nothing.” He pointed to some progress after starting P12 on the grid, but the overall mood was disappointment after Ferrari had led the way in Friday’s second practice session, only to fall back into the middle of the pack. Teammate Charles Leclerc started 10th after a crash in qualifying and ended up ninth.

Hamilton continued: “Honestly, I felt so good in the car and ultimately we went in the wrong direction with the car. But our ultimate pace in the race was just not on par with the guys up ahead of us. It was so hard to overtake here.”

Hamilton’s time at Ferrari started with promise after a win in the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix in March, but a double disqualification for him and Leclerc the following day pointed to setup issues Ferrari has struggled to solve.

For Sainz, who left Ferrari for uncertainty at a Williams team that had not been on the podium since 2021, his third place was a vindication of his new team’s long-term plan to compete at the front again.

Sainz said it also showed he was standing out among the drivers who had to adapt to new teams for 2025, a category that also includes Hamilton. The Spaniard said: “I think out of everyone that’s changed teams, which is not an easy task nowadays.

"I’ve been very competitive from the first race, very quick, but I didn’t have results with me. I didn’t have results to prove to myself, the team, and everyone that some good things were about to come. But, in the end, they did," added Sainz, who made way for Hamilton to join the Italian team.