The Formula 1 world has just witnessed one of the most sensational qualifying performances of the season at the Baku Grand Prix, and the center of attention is none other than Carlos Sainz. The Spanish star, in the colors of Williams, masterfully secured second place on the starting grid, a phenomenal achievement for a midfield team. This was not just a personal victory but also a powerful message to his former team, Ferrari, and the man who replaced him, the legendary Lewis Hamilton. After being replaced by Hamilton, Sainz has proven that his career is far from declining; on the contrary, it’s exploding with more vigor than ever, especially as the new 2026 regulations loom. The big question now is: is he proving Ferrari wrong for choosing Hamilton over him?

Sainz’s P2 in the Baku GP qualifying was an astonishing feat for Williams. In a session where the team’s hopes were nearly dashed after an early crash from Alex Albon, Sainz shone when it mattered most. He surpassed all expectations, only slower than the leader Max Verstappen—an unstoppable force. What’s remarkable is that Sainz didn’t just get “lucky” from the crashes of other competitors; he executed a perfect lap himself, significantly faster than Lando Norris, once again affirming his top-tier qualifying ability. Sainz simply doesn’t mess around when it comes to conquering qualifying.

Speaking after the session, a confident Sainz stated, “Honestly, we’ve nailed qualifying today. Every time we were on the right tire at the right time and we put together some very strong laps. Obviously, the top cars were going to put a lap together and we were going to be those four or five-tenths behind, but it was only one of them which was Max, and for the rest, we managed to beat them. We are P2, which is great news. I’ve been putting good laps together in qualifying, that hasn’t been my weakness at all, and today we proved the speed in this car and this team is there. I’m delivering in qualifying when it counts.” This statement not only showed his satisfaction with his performance but also carried an undercurrent of pride in his own abilities, an assertion of his value to those who may have doubted him.

Even more telling is the stark contrast between Sainz’s and Hamilton’s positions in Baku. Sainz is on the cusp of a major opportunity to bring home the first podium for his new team, while Lewis Hamilton, despite believing he could contend for pole position after the free practice sessions, failed to advance past Q3 due to a controversial decision by his Ferrari team to leave him out on a used set of soft tires. While Sainz relied not on luck but on a perfectly executed lap to lock in a front-row start alongside his former teammate Verstappen, Hamilton faced a harsh reality.

This is truly a “bombshell” for Ferrari, seeing their ex-driver potentially score a podium before the seven-time world champion they brought in as his replacement. Hamilton currently holds the unfortunate record for the most races as a Ferrari driver without a podium finish (16). It’s very likely this streak will extend to 17 after Baku. It wouldn’t be easy for Hamilton to watch Sainz climb into the top three with a midfield team, especially after he signed a contract with a potential championship contender. Although Sainz needs to improve his performance in the main Sunday races, the fact that he could out-qualify both Leclerc and Hamilton in technically inferior machinery speaks volumes.

There were moments when it looked like Sainz might even take pole in Baku, but a red flag disrupted Q3. Nevertheless, Sainz’s job was to put the car as high as possible, and he did so brilliantly. This performance forces many to question whether Ferrari needs to rethink its decision to let Sainz go in pursuit of the “Hamilton project.”

Clearly, the chance to sign a seven-time world champion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At the time, it seemed that Sainz had reached his ceiling with Ferrari, and they wanted a more “elite” option. However, Hamilton’s age and his form as an F1 driver have raised questions about whether this was the right choice. From that point on, it became obvious that whichever team Carlos chose, he would have one mission: to prove to Ferrari that they were wrong. And although this season hasn’t fully reflected that yet, Sainz is well on his way to achieving his goal.

Part of the reason Williams is leading the midfield is thanks to Alex Albon, who is considered a top-10 driver on the grid. However, Sainz’s adaptation process is also going quite smoothly. Carlos’s position in the driver’s championship could change drastically after Baku, and that’s exactly what he needs after scoring only 16 points so far this season. If he manages to hold on for a podium finish, he could earn more points in a single race than he has in the entirety of 2025 so far. This would undoubtedly put Williams in a much stronger position to hold onto P5 in the Constructors’ Championship.

For a team that has set its sights on 2026 as early as Williams has, these developments are extremely favorable. Their new driver is adapting well, and Albon is the only driver, along with Hamilton, currently in the top 10 of the standings. This is a boasting fact for the Grove-based squad. On the other hand, one must look at Ferrari and how their decision to bring in Hamilton is panning out. The goal wasn’t 2025; it was supposed to be a collaboration that would reap rewards from 2026 onwards. However, Hamilton’s adaptation process seems to be going far worse than expected. We’re not talking about points scored, as no one expected these two to be on par given the teams they’re driving for. Williams spent much more time and effort developing their 2025 car compared to Ferrari, and they were likely one of the first teams to switch focus to 2026, with a clear goal of fighting for wins and podiums.

At this point, we also have to ask whether Sainz is happy to be out of Ferrari. The Maranello-based squad has done nothing but prove their incompetence time and time again. They don’t listen to Hamilton at all, and they continued to not listen to Leclerc. The drivers are unhappy and very dissatisfied with the team’s dynamics, and frankly, a change of environment is precisely what Sainz needed at this point in his career.

Let’s not forget one very important thing here: Williams is a Mercedes-powered team. The Brackley-based squad is set to have the best engine from the new regulations onwards, and while Ferrari and Honda have been dubbed to be very close, the advantage is still likely to be on Mercedes’s side. That means whatever team they supply with their engines will have a significant advantage compared to other squads on their level. Again, it’s very important to be reminded of Williams’ goals for 2026: this is the year in which they will be looking to fight for occasional race wins and more frequent podiums. If that happens, Ferrari will definitely regret letting go of Sainz because, while it seems a bit of a questionable take, he might have been the better choice compared to Hamilton—not because of his success, but because of the luxury he has that Lewis doesn’t: age and time.

I’m not saying Hamilton chose Ferrari as the team in which he will retire, but so far, he is not showing any signs of progress and is certainly having a very hard time keeping the car close to Leclerc. The year 2026 will give us a lot of answers as to whether this was the right move for Ferrari, but as of now, the decision looks borderline questionable.

With all this in mind, what do you think about Sainz’s extraordinary performance in Baku’s qualifying session? And more importantly, do you think he can put it on the podium and clinch one before Hamilton does in a Ferrari? Let us know in the comments below.