In a nail-biting showdown during Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz expressed his excitement over securing a second-place grid start, even as Max Verstappen snatched pole position at the last moment.

Sainz initially held provisional pole with a stunning lap time before a red flag halted the session when Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn 15. Even as another interruption came about, caused by Championship leader Oscar Piastri's collision with the wall, Sainz remained at the top until the gripping final moments.

As the rain began to fall, drivers faced a challenging one-lap shootout, and it nearly looked like Sainz would deliver Williams’ first pole in over a decade. However, Verstappen surged ahead, leaving Sainz thrilled yet again for his outstanding performance.

"I’m very happy, honestly. We nailed Qualifying today," Sainz reflected after the session. "We executed perfectly with the right tyres and put in some solid laps. Of course, when you’re up against top drivers, we’ll always be a few tenths behind. It was just Max this time, and I’m not surprised. But we managed to beat the others and secured a great P2."

This season has been challenging for Sainz, who joined Williams from Ferrari. He has struggled to match teammate Alex Albon's race performances, achieving only a best finish of P8 and failing to score points in the last six races.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Sainz set his sights high, stating, "I want to try and stick it on the podium. I’m determined to give Williams their first podium with me. If it’s possible, fantastic; if not, we’ll just see how it goes."

In contrast, Albon faced disappointment, crashing out in Q1 and starting Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after hitting the inside wall at Turn 1, which damaged his car's suspension.

Reflecting on his early exit, Albon admitted, "My mistake was clearly a rookie error. I was caught off guard by the difference in grip between my first and second lap. It’s disappointing, but we’ve got our work cut out for the race ahead. It’s not easy to make overtakes on this track, so we’ll need to stay focused and see what we can achieve."