Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Jr. is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One. The son of the celebrated rally champion Carlos Sainz, he has driven for several teams over his Formula One career and has earned multiple Grand Prix victories, building a reputation as a consistent and technically capable competitor.

Early life

Carlos Sainz Vazquez de Castro was born on September 1, 1994, in Madrid, Spain. He grew up immersed in motorsport as the son of Carlos Sainz, a two-time World Rally Championship title winner, and he began karting at a young age. He progressed through the junior single-seater categories, competing in series such as Formula Renault, European Formula 3 and the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, which he won in 2014, earning a path toward Formula One.

Career

Sainz made his Formula One debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso, the junior team within the Red Bull program, partnering Max Verstappen in his first seasons. He later moved to Renault and then to McLaren, where he had a strong run that included a number of podium finishes and helped reestablish him as a sought-after driver. His results during this period earned him a move to one of the sport's most storied teams.

In 2021 Sainz joined Scuderia Ferrari, partnering Charles Leclerc. With Ferrari he secured his first Formula One Grand Prix victory and added further wins, becoming a regular podium contender and a key part of the team's competitive efforts. He developed a reputation for strong race management, tyre preservation and the ability to extract results from difficult situations.

Recent work

After several seasons with Ferrari, Sainz moved to Williams for the 2025 season as part of a wider reshuffle of the driver market, joining the team as it sought to return toward the front of the grid. The switch marked a new chapter in his career as he took on a leading role within a rebuilding team.

Throughout his time in Formula One, Sainz has been regarded as one of the most reliable drivers on the grid, frequently scoring points and contributing to his teams' constructor standings. He has also competed in other branches of motorsport outside Formula One, including taking part in the Dakar Rally, the gruelling endurance event in which his father has long been a leading competitor, reflecting the family's broad involvement in the sport.

He is one of the most prominent Spanish figures in international motorsport, following in the tradition of compatriot Fernando Alonso, and he continues to compete at the highest level of the sport while carrying forward his family's long association with racing. Known for his measured public demeanour and methodical approach to race weekends, Sainz has built a reputation as a dependable and adaptable competitor across the various teams and machinery he has driven throughout his career.