James Vowles shares why he was ‘proud’ of Alex Albon after Carlos Sainz’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix podium

Williams Racing team principal James Vowles was joyous at the conclusion of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz hasn’t had the easiest time at Williams since his move from Ferrari.

He’s been outperformed by teammate Alex Albon across the campaign as he adapts to his new surroundings.

However, the Thai driver was the first of six drivers to bring out a red flag during qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

He clipped the inside of the first corner after a gust of wind gave his car more downforce than expected, allowing him to take the left-hand turn far tighter than he imagined.

As Albon watched on, Sainz put his Williams on the front row of the grid, the first time a driver has achieved that feat under James Vowles.

Sainz’s ex-Ferrari colleagues were delighted for him, but it was the sight of dozens of Williams staff on the pit wall as he took the chequered flag that hadn’t been seen for some time in Formula 1.

Vowles was quick to praise the Spaniard, but later explained why he was ‘proud’ of Albon too, despite his tricky weekend.

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James Vowles ‘proud’ of Alex Albon for his sportsmanship at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Vowles was reflecting on the race weekend on Williams’ YouTube channel, and he explained: “It’s hard to express just what this result meant to the team, but it’s safe to say it’s a huge amount.

“I’m proud of Carlos. It’s not been the easiest of years, and yet he did an absolutely incredible job all weekend long to bring home certainly the first podium for me whilst I’ve been within Williams and one that the team absolutely relished and celebrated.

“I’m proud of Alex. He absolutely showed the sportsperson that he is when he came underneath the podium. Immediately wanted to celebrate as part of the team.

“It meant a huge amount to him as it did to myself and to everyone else. And I’m proud of the team.

“We have to recognise where we have come from. And where we are today isn’t the end of our journey by any stretch of the imagination.

“It’s the end of the beginning in some regards. But I’m proud of how we pulled together and fixed problems in qualifying over the last 10 days or so.

“How every single race, almost, we’ve been building up towards getting better and better results, how we execute, how we work together, how we deliver.

“And there’s not one area that’s the same as before. We’ve been gently improving all of them. And I think it’s a just reward and an earned reward as well.”

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Alex Albon praises Carlos Sainz’s impact at Williams behind the scenes

Few would argue that Williams haven’t taken significant steps forward under Vowles.

The days of George Russell and Robert Kubica being cut adrift at the back of the grid are gone, and Albon has been essential to that improvement.

Sainz is the first world-class teammate the Thai driver has had since Max Verstappen, but Albon has done a superb job against him in 2025.

Albon has praised Sainz’s impact behind the scenes at Williams, bringing all his experience from Ferrari to the Grove-based outfit.

Hopes are high at Williams that F1’s regulation changes next year will see them fighting for regular podiums.

Sainz has plenty of experience in that department, with his P3 in Baku the 28th time he’s stood on the podium.

Albon only has two podiums to his name, but he’s displayed all the talent required this season to consistently challenge in the right car.