Carlos Sainz Jr.
Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro, also known as Carlos Sainz Jr. is a Spanish Formula One racing driver, born on 1 September 1994. His father, Carlos Sainz, is a two time World Rally Champion. Carlos Sainz is also the nephew of the rally driver Antonio Sainz. Carlos Sainz, as Carlos Sainz Jr. is otherwise known, will race for Scuderia Ferrari from 2021.
Sainz has raced in the European and British Formula 3 championships for Carlin in 2012. He then raced for DAMS, winning the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship before moving on to Toro Rosso Racing in Formula One in 2015. Mid-2017 season, Sainz started racing for Renault before moving to McLaren. Sainz signed with Ferrari for 2021 and beyond, where he replaced Sebastian Vettel in the team.
Carlos Sainz Jr’s Career Before Formula 1
Karting (2008-2009)
Carlos Sainz Jr. was born in Madrid and won the Asia Pacific KF3 championship in 2008. He also finished runner-up in the Spanish Championship the same year. In 2009, Sainz went on to win the prestigious Junior Monaco Karting Cup and ended the European KF3 Championship in the second place.
Formula BMW (2010)
In 2010, Sainz raced with the Eurointernational Team in Formula BMW Europe. He was also a member of the Red Bull Junior Team programme. In Formula BMW, he was invited for a guest drive in the Formula BMW Pacific Series and he made his racing debut at Sepang. As Sainz was invited as a guest driver, he was not allotted any points in the series.
Despite being ineligible to score points, Sainz impressed in Malaysia. On his debut at Sepang, he finished second in the 1st and 4th in the 2nd race. On the following day, Sainz was forced to retire but he came back strongly to win the second race. Helmut Marko, the Red Bull Team principal was impressed with Sainz’s showing on his debut and awarded him with a place at the Red Bull Junior Team.
At the following race, Sainz finished 7th, but he won the next race. He came back to the series in Singapore after missing the races in China. In Singapore, Sainz finished 6th in the first race but 2nd in the next. He again missed the Japanese races but came back to Macau for the season finale and won the races there. In the 9 races that he contested in, Sainz finished with 2 wins, 3 pole positions and 2 fastest laps.
Contesting in the Formula BMW Europe, Sainz got off to a good start earning a podium position in third place at Circuit de Catalunya. He took 5th and 2nd places in Zandvoort and 7th and 10th places in Valencia. Sainz got his first victory of the season in the second race at Silverstone following a 3rd place finish in the first.
Sainz looked on course to his first championship when he took 11th and sixth places in Hockenheim and the followed with 4th and third positions at Hungaroring. But Robin Frijns, who won podium positions in all but three races, beat him to it.
A double retirement at Spa Francorchamps put paid to Sainz’s hopes. Eighth and 6th place finishes at Monza saw Sainz finishing the season in fourth place with 227 points. Competing in the UK Formula Renault Winter Cup, Sainz finished 6th in the first race and retired in the second.
Formula 3 (2012)
Sainz competed in the British as well as in the Euro Series Formula 3 Championships during the 2012 season. He was racing for Carlin this time and earned 9 podium positions, and two pole positions finishing 6th overall in the British championship. In the Euro Series, Sainz secured two pole positions and two podiums and finished in ninth position in the championship.
GP3 (2013)
Sainz joined Arden in 2013 to race in the GP3 series. He qualified in 5th place in Spain but was penalised 10 places for ignoring the yellow flags during the practice sessions. Despite the setback, he made it to the 8th position during the race. But Sainz had mismanaged his Pirelli tyres. He ended up fifteenth on bald tyres, not having gained or lost a place.
In the second race, Sainz managed to work his way to the 9th place from the 15th that he started in before the safety car was deployed. Sainz finished the race in 7th position but was disqualified when it was found out (post-race) that his car was underweight. Sainz and his partner, Daniil Kvyat, finished the races without scoring any points.
Sainz qualified 8th in Valencia and finished the race in 4th place. He started 4th in the second race and gained the 3rd place in the first lap. He held his position till the finish line winning the first GP3 podium position of his career. By the end of the second racing weekend, Sainz was in the sixth championship position and fancying his chances of winning a GP3 championship.
In the first race at Silverstone, Sainz made contact with Lewis Williamson when the former was eight in the race. The damage sustained by his car slowed Sainz down and he finished the race in the 13th place. He started in the 13th place in the second race and finished in the same position.
Formula Renault 3.5
Sainz competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship in 2013. But as he was focussed much more on the GP3 series, he missed several races in the season. In Monaco, Sainz managed 6th place and retired in both races at Spa Francorchamps. He also missed out on the Russian and the Austrian races.
Sainz returned to race in Hungary and finished 7th in the first race. But he had problems with his car and finished 22nd in Race 2. At Circuit de Paul Ricard, Sainz had a double retirement. When he arrived at Catalunya, he had only one podium finish to his name. Sainz retired in Race 1, and finished 6th in Race 2.
Having switched to DAMs for the 2014 season, Sainz won the second race at Monza after having finished 18th in the first. He scored a win at Aragon and finished 4th in the second race. With a 4th place finish in the one-off race in Monza and another two wins at Spa Francorchamps, Sainz’s position in the championship was looking good.
In Moscow, Sainz finished 14th and 6th in the two races. He won the first race in Germany but had to retire in the second. On a wet track in Hungary, Roberto Mehri, his challenger for the championship led the field by half a minute but Sainz secured the 6th place in race two. In France, he won both the races, increasing his tally in the championship by 50 points. Carlos Sainz had won his first Formula Championship scoring 227 points.
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Career In Formula 1
Toro Rosso and Red Bull had announced Carlos Sainz Jr. as a test driver in Formula One as a part of the Young Drivers’ Test at Silverstone in 2013.
Toro Rosso (2015-2017)
In 2015, Sainz was recruited by Scuderia Toro Rosso to drive alongside Max Verstappen in the 2015 season. He replaced Daniil Kvyat who was promoted to Red Bull Racing that season. Selecting 55 as his racing number, Sainz debuted at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He finished the race in ninth position.
He lost control of his car during the practice session in Russia and crashed into the Tecpro barriers. He was admitted to a hospital, was released to race the next day, but couldn’t finish the race. He scored his last points of the season in the United States by finishing 7th. Sainz finished his first Formula One season with Toro ross ranked 15th in the championship.
Sainz started the 2016 season by finishing 9th in the Australian Grand Prix and retired at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He again finished 9th in China and scored no points in Russia. A string of points followed when he finished 6th in Spain, 8th in Monaco and 9th in Canada. Sainz could not finish the race at the European Grand Prix.
Sainz finished 8th in three successive races in Austria, Britain and Hungary before the summer break. He scored no points after the break till the United States Grand Prix where he finished 6th. Sainz earned no points in Mexico but finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in the sixth place. With no points in Abu Dhabi Sainz finished the 2016 season 12th in the drivers’ standings.
Sainz started the 2017 season with a 7th place finish in Australia before he went with dry tyres on a wet Chinese track to finish 8th. In Bahrain, he crashed with Lance Stroll and earned a 3 place grid penalty in the ensuing race in Russia. He, however, finished 10th at Sochi and went on to secure the 7th place in Spain and his career-best 6th place in Monaco.
Sainz was involved in a crash with Romain Grosjean in Canada and could not finish the race. He could not finish in Austria and Britain, the latter because of a crash with his teammate, but went on to rank 6th in Baku and 7th in Hungary. Sainz did well to finish 10th at Spa Francorchamps but could not garner any points in Monza.
In Singapore, Sainz got the best finish of his Formula One career yet when he crossed the finish line fourth. He was forced to retire in the Malaysian Grand Prix due to engine problems. He retired in the Japanese Grand Prix due to a crash. Carlos Sainz finished the 2017 Formula One season in the 9th place in the driver rankings.
Sainz started the 2018 season well by scoring points in five of the first six races. But he was trailing his partner Nicolas Hülkenberg in four of those races. By the end of the race in Azerbaijan, Sainz was in the fifth position in the drivers’ rankings. He, however, finished the season in the 10th place, 3 places behind Hülkenberg.
McLaren (2019-2020)
As Fernando Alonso had retired at the end of the 2018 season, McLaren signed Carlos Sainz Jr. in 2019 to replace him. Sainz had a disappointing start to the season with the new team. Reliability problems cost him dearly in the Australian Grand Prix. That was followed by collisions in the Bahrain and Chinese Grands Prix.
Sainz got among the points after that finishing strongly and in a position to contest for the sixth place in the drivers’ rankings. In the Brazilian Grand Prix, Sainz started last on the grid as he had engine problems during qualifying. He had finished fourth. But Lewis Hamilton received a penalty for causing a collision and Sainz was elevated to third place, his first career Formula One podium position.
In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sainz overtook Hülkenberg in the last lap to finish the race in the 10th place. Those additional points ensured that Sainz finished the 2019 season in the 6th place in the drivers’ rankings.
In a season that was postponed and rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sainz started the 2020 season by finishing fifth in the Austrian Grand Prix. In the Styrian Grand Prix, Sainz qualified third achieving his best qualifying result in Formula One. He finished the race in 9th place but not before recording the fastest lap, a first for him in Formula One and a Red Bull Ring track record.
Suffering a tyre picture on the penultimate lap at Silverstone, Sainz was also troubled by an overheating problem during qualifying at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Sainz had to start in the second half on the grid and a wheel gun malfunctioning ensured that he finished 13th in the race. He also abandoned the Belgium race because of a power unit problem.
At the Italian Grand Prix, Sainz qualified third behind Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Botas. He finished second in the race, his best finish in a Formula One race yet and the second podium position of his career. Sainz finished sixth for the second consecutive time in the 2020 championship season accumulating 105 points and 6 top 5 finishes.
Ferrari (2021-)
Ahead of the 2021 F1 season, Scuderia Ferrari announced that Carlos Sainz Jr. had signed a two-year contract with them. Sainz replaced the four-time Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel.
2021 Season
In 2021, Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Scuderia Ferrari, partnering with Charles Leclerc. This was a significant move in his career, as he replaced four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Sainz’s performance throughout the season was closely watched, given the prestige of racing for Ferrari and the high expectations set by his predecessor.
- Race Wins:
- During the 2021 season, Carlos Sainz did not secure a race win. However, his consistent performance and ability to score points were notable.
- Podium Finishes:
- Sainz achieved several podium finishes in 2021, showcasing his skill and adaptability in the Ferrari car. These podiums were crucial in contributing to both his personal standings and Ferrari’s position in the Constructors’ Championship.
- Notable Races:
- Monaco Grand Prix: One of the highlights of Sainz’s season was at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished in second place. This podium was particularly significant given the challenging nature of the Monaco circuit and the prestige associated with the race.
- Hungarian Grand Prix: Another standout performance was at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Sainz finished in third place. This race was marked by a chaotic start and numerous incidents, demonstrating Sainz’s ability to navigate through unpredictable race conditions.
- Russian Grand Prix: At the Russian Grand Prix, Sainz also secured a podium finish, coming in third. This race was affected by changing weather conditions, and Sainz’s strategy and composure played a key role in his podium finish.
- Other Notable Moments:
- Throughout the season, Sainz was praised for his consistency and ability to extract performance from the Ferrari car, often outperforming expectations.
- His relationship with teammate Charles Leclerc was also a point of interest, as they worked together to improve Ferrari’s standings in the Constructors’ Championship.
- Sainz’s adaptability to the Ferrari team and car was a key narrative of the season, as he transitioned from McLaren and quickly became a competitive force within the team.
- Season Conclusion:
- By the end of the 2021 season, Carlos Sainz had firmly established himself as a valuable asset to Ferrari. His performances, marked by podium finishes and consistent point-scoring, contributed significantly to Ferrari’s campaign in the Constructors’ Championship.
- Sainz’s ability to adapt to a new team and car, coupled with his competitive spirit and skill, positioned him as a driver to watch in the subsequent seasons.
2022 Season
I apologize for the oversight. Here is a corrected summary of Carlos Sainz’s 2022 Formula 1 season with Ferrari:
Carlos Sainz’s 2022 season with Scuderia Ferrari was a significant one for the Spanish driver, as he continued to establish himself as a competitive force in Formula 1. Sainz’s year was highlighted by a mix of successes and challenges as he aimed to push Ferrari back to the forefront of the grid.
The pinnacle of Sainz’s season came at the British Grand Prix, where he achieved his first-ever Formula 1 victory. This win was a major milestone in his career and a testament to his driving abilities and the improved performance of the Ferrari car.
In addition to his win at Silverstone, Sainz secured several podium finishes throughout the season. These consistent high placements contributed to Ferrari’s points tally and showcased Sainz’s ability to consistently compete at the sharp end of the field.
However, the 2022 season was not without its difficulties for Sainz. He experienced a few retirements and on-track incidents that impacted his overall standing in the drivers’ championship. Despite these setbacks, Sainz’s determination and skill behind the wheel were evident as he often bounced back with strong performances in subsequent races.
Sainz’s partnership with teammate Charles Leclerc was also a focal point of the season, as the two drivers worked together to challenge their rivals and bring success to the Ferrari team. Their collaboration and occasionally competitive rivalry pushed both drivers to improve and helped Ferrari in their quest to close the gap to the leading teams.
Overall, Carlos Sainz’s 2022 season with Ferrari was marked by growth, resilience, and a clear demonstration of his potential as a top driver in the sport. His first F1 victory, multiple podiums, and consistent points-scoring finishes underscored a solid campaign and set the stage for his continued evolution as a key member of the iconic Ferrari team.
2023 Season
In 2023, Carlos Sainz had a mixed season with Ferrari. He kicked off with a fourth-place finish in Bahrain and mirrored that result in Australia before a penalty for contact with Alonso dropped him to twelfth. Disagreeing with the sanction, Ferrari’s appeal failed. Sainz claimed third in Miami qualifying but ended up fifth in the race. A crash in Monaco practice and a race spin saw him fall from fourth to eighth. At the Spanish Grand Prix, despite qualifying second, he finished fifth, citing tyre wear issues.
Practice incidents also marred his Canadian and Hungarian Grands Prix, but he managed to finish both races in the points. A strategic error at the British Grand Prix relegated him to tenth. Sainz’s season highlight was clinching pole and winning the Singapore Grand Prix, breaking Red Bull’s win streak. He faced a fuel leak issue in Qatar, missing the race start, and a podium finish at the US Grand Prix came after Hamilton’s disqualification.
Sainz suffered a practice crash in Las Vegas due to a loose manhole cover, which led to a grid penalty, and he finished sixth. His season ended on a low note with a crash in Abu Dhabi practice, a sixteenth-place qualifying, and a retirement from the race. Sainz concluded the season with 200 points, placing him seventh in the 2023 F1 Drivers’ Championship standings.
Has Carlos Sainz ever won a race in F1?
Yes, Carlos Sainz has won a race in Formula 1. He secured his first Grand Prix victory at the 2022 British Grand Prix, driving for Scuderia Ferrari. This win marked a significant milestone in his F1 career and showcased his potential as a race-winning driver in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Has Carlos Sainz won a World Championship?
As of the completion of the 2023 F1 season, Carlos Sainz has not won a Formula 1 World Championship. Since entering F1, Sainz has achieved race victories and numerous podium finishes, establishing himself as a competitive driver within the sport, but the title of World Champion has not yet been among his accomplishments.
How many years was Carlos Sainz at McLaren?
Carlos Sainz drove for the McLaren Formula 1 team for two years, from the start of the 2019 season until the end of the 2020 season. During his tenure at McLaren, Sainz delivered strong performances, including securing his first podium finish in Formula 1 at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Why is Carlos Sainz number 55?
Carlos Sainz chose the number 55 as his race number in Formula 1 because his preferred number, 5, was already taken by Sebastian Vettel when Sainz entered the sport. The number 55 was distinctive and not common in racing, which appealed to him, and it has since become a part of his identity in the sport.
Has Carlos Sainz won a race in Ferrari?
Yes, Carlos Sainz has won a race while driving for Ferrari. His first victory with the team came at the 2022 British Grand Prix. Later, he also won the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, contributing to his career wins in Formula 1 with the iconic racing team.
What is Carlos Sainz salary?
As of the 2023 Formula 1 season, Carlos Sainz’s salary was reported to be around $12 million. However, this figure could include base salary and potential bonuses, and the actual earnings may vary based on performance, sponsorship deals, and other contractual agreements with Ferrari.
What ethnicity is Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz is of Spanish ethnicity. He was born in Madrid, Spain, and is a Spanish national. His heritage and nationality are reflected in his representation of Spain in the international motorsport arena.
How many F1 teams has Carlos Sainz been in?
Carlos Sainz has driven for four different Formula 1 teams during his career. He started with Scuderia Toro Rosso (now known as Visa Cash App RB) in 2015, then moved to Renault (now Alpine F1 Team) for part of the 2017 season and the full 2018 season. In 2019, he joined McLaren, where he raced until the end of the 2020 season. For the 2021 season, Sainz signed with Scuderia Ferrari, where he has been driving since.
How tall is Carlos Sainz?
Carlos Sainz is 1.78 meters tall, equivalent to 5 feet 10 inches. His height is fairly average for a Formula 1 driver, where physical fitness and stature play a role in driver performance and cockpit accommodation.
How many languages does Carlos Sainz speak?
Carlos Sainz is multilingual and speaks several languages. He is fluent in Spanish, his native language, as well as English and Italian. His proficiency in Italian has been particularly beneficial during his tenure at the Italian-based Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team.
Does Carlos Sainz Jr have a sister?
Yes, Carlos Sainz Jr. does have a sister. Her name is Ana Sainz, and she is known to have a presence on social media and to be involved in family events, as is common with the siblings of public figures. Carlos Sainz Jr. comes from a family that is closely knit and supportive of each other’s endeavors.