Carlos Sainz Jr., from Madrid and born in 1994, is a Spanish runner Formula 1 After years of competing in lower categories, he made his debut in the famous tournament in 2015 at just 19 years old. From a famous father who is also a car racer, Carlos Sainz Jr. inherited a passion for this world and without a doubt this has allowed him to learn from one of the best since he was very young, forging a path full of successes. If you want to know more about one of the most outstanding figures in Formula 1, keep reading because we leave you with a list of the 10 things about Carlos Sainz Jr. that you should know.
1. Did you know that Fernando Alonso predicted the success of Carlos Sainz Jr.?
In an interview with El Diario AS, Fernando Alonso said that Carlos Sainz Jr. would be the next Spanish world champion. At the time, Sainz was still competing in the lower categories of the sport.
2. Fernando Alonso has always been his role model
It seems that the admiration is mutual, and if Fernando Alonso predicted the success of Carlos Sainz Jr., for his part, the less experienced driver has always had Alonso as one of his greatest role models. As he has said in different interviews, when Sainz was 10 years old, he met his favourite driver who at that time was fighting to become world champion. Seeing his talent and success, Sainz told his father: “Dad, I want to be like Fernando Alonso.”
3. Did you know that Carlos Sainz 'El Matador' is his father?
Like father, like son! Carlos Sainz Sr. is the father of Carlos Sainz Jr. So it is not surprising that Sainz Jr. has managed to achieve so many victories with the best example of success in his own home. Carlos Sainz Sr. is considered the best Spanish rally driver of all time, and among his many victories we can highlight that he has been world champion twice competing in the Toyota team.
4. When the car hobby began?
Although he is now undoubtedly one of the most famous Formula 1 drivers in Spain, the truth is that Sainz began his love of cars in the karts. In fact, the driver won several tournaments including the 2008 KF3 Asia-Pacific and the 2009 Monaco Junior Kart Cup. However, the world of karting came to an end for Sainz Jr. when his father went to see him compete for the first time, and after suffering an accident he decided that this stage was over for his son.
The story of why he competes with the number 55 is because when he was little his favorite number was 5 but he already used Sebastian Vettel So he decided to add another five that coincidentally matched the shape of the S at the end of his first name and the S at the beginning of his last name. Both he and his team thought it was a good marketing strategy.
5. Did you know that in his first year in Formula 1 he broke records?
It was already known that the driver had promise, but Carlos Sainz Jr. managed to surprise the world with his performance during his debut, and he managed to position himself as the first by breaking the record of leaving the race before any other Spanish driver up to that time. However, he did not finish the season as he would have liked, as he finished 15th after a series of problems with the car that forced him to retire on more than one occasion.
6. Which teams has he belonged to?
Throughout his career, Sainz has been in different Formula 1 teams. Red Bull, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari have been the teams in which the driver has demonstrated his worth and improved year after year.
The driver's favourite circuits are Macau, Nordschleife and Nurburgring, although he said he would love to return to Macau.
7. He is reserved about his private life.
She has admitted several times that she doesn't like to share anything about her relationships and personal life in public, and that she prefers to keep it in the background. The privacy and integrity of her family comes before fame.
Carlos gave his fans the opportunity to ask him anything they wanted to know about him and he answered many of them through his YouTube channel. In this video Sainz opened up to his followers and confessed some of his most intimate secrets. Some of them were the inspiration that his father gave him, who was already the Spanish squash champion. He also remembers the best times of his life in Formula 1 (2007-2008- and 2012-2013) due to the competitiveness that characterized them.
8. What are the runner's hobbies?
During his time off and when he doesn't have to fulfill his career obligations, Carlos Sainz entertains himself by enjoying other hobbies. As he himself has shown on occasion, the driver is a big fan of other sports such as surfing, boxing and golf.
9. Which Spanish football team do you support?
The Madrid native is also a football fanatic and, as expected, Real Madrid is his favourite team. Sergio Ramos is also one of the sportsmen he admires the most. He also admits his admiration for Luka Modric and Thibault Courtois.
Another of his idols is Leonardo Di Caprio, who is his favorite actor, specifically in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street.
10. When he doesn't have a career, he likes to enjoy Sundays to the fullest
When the driver doesn't have to compete in a tournament or race, he likes to enjoy Sundays in the company of his family. His perfect plan? Going out for a run early in the morning, eating with the whole family - perhaps hamburgers, his favourite food -, playing golf in the afternoon and ending the day watching a film.
Carlos Sainz Jr. is one of the most successful sportsmen on the Spanish scene, eager to be like Fernando Alonso and of course his own father. He never stops fighting and battling in the competitions season after season, leaving a lasting impression on everyone. His family is his greatest support and although his fame precedes him, he is still a normal boy who wants to succeed in the sport he likes and enjoy it with his closest circle. Competitive, passionate about motor racing, family-oriented, discreet and cheerful are the adjectives that best describe the driver who never stops adding victories and writing his name in the record books.
