Carlos Sainz's girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson drops 2-word reaction to the Spaniard securing a front row start for the F1 Azerbaijan GP

Carlos Sainz's girlfriend, Rebecca Donaldson, has shared her reaction as she celebrates the Spaniard's P2 finish in qualifying for the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Williams man will start Sunday's race from the front row alongside pole sitter Max Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz was able to keep hold of the front row in qualifying for the Azerbaijan GP on Saturday, as a result of setting his first time in Q3 early on amid a rain-affected session. Only Max Verstappen was able to improve enough to get ahead of him in the end.

After the session, Rebecca Donaldson shared her reaction to her boyfriend's achievements via an Instagram story.

"My Godddd 🔥" [Translated from Spanish]

Screengrab from Rebecca Donaldson's Instagram story [via Instagram/@iamrebeccad]

Carlos Sainz was joking about how the Williams team should start rain-dancing to make sure the track stays wet, as the driver was sitting on provisional pole when the red flags came out in Q3 during qualifying for the Azerbaijan GP. The drivers were able to go out again on a dry track, but the session came to a halt once more due to Oscar Piastri's crash.

When the grid was finally able to get out with just over three minutes left, it had started raining again. Pole favorite Lando Norris was unable to improve, and Sainz's shot for a pole looked good. But in the end, Max Verstappen managed to put in the quickest time by over four tenths, demoting Sainz to P2.

This is the best qualifying result of the 2025 season for the driver and team. The other side of the garage had little to cheer for, as Alex Albon crashed out in Q1 and will start Sunday's race from last on the grid.

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Carlos Sainz exuberant after qualifying in P2 for the F1 Azerbaijan GP

Carlos Sainz with pole sitter Max Verstappen after qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Carlos Sainz was left extremely happy after the Azerbaijan GP qualifying as he marked his best qualifying result at Williams. The former Ferrari driver shared how he was put on the right tires at the right time, aiding his bid to claim P2 in the end.

Speaking in the post-session interview, Sainz reflected on the qualifying session, as he also shared his optimistic goals for the race.

"Very happy. We nailed the Qualifying today, always on the right tire at the right time and putting together some very good laps. We are in P2, which is great news," said Sainz. "Plan for tomorrow - try and stick it on the podium. I am going to try my best to give Williams a first podium, if it's possible, great, if not, we'll see," he added.

Sainz also added that he was always going to be four or five tenths behind pole if one of the front-runners managed to hook up a good lap in the end. Luckily for him, only Max Verstappen and Lando Norris remained in the running at the end of Q3, and it was only the reigning world champion who was able to improve enough to grab pole.

Edited by Mitali