Carlos Sainz

The new Fernando Alonso?

Carlos Sainz jr, son of Rally racer Carlos Sainz, impressed in his karting days. After victories in, among others, the Junior Monaco Kart Cup, the Spaniard moved on to Formula BMW in 2010. That same year Sainz was included in Red Bull's junior programme. In 2011, Sainz won the Northern European title in Formula Renault and was just short of winning the European Cup that same year. What followed was not the series of great results that the Spaniard had hoped for.

Wrestling through

The transition to GP3 didn’t go well and in Formula 3 Sainz didn't come close to the title either. It was only with DAMS in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship that the Spaniard got another chance to show his best side by taking the title. At the end of the 2014 season it was announced that the Red Bull-junior would take the next Formula 1 season in the Toro Rosso.

Verstappen versus Sainz

With Max Verstappen next to him at Toro Rosso, Sainz managed to bring out the best in himself. In his debut race in Melbourne, the Spaniard immediately grabbed points for Toro Rosso and went on to do that eight times that season. Nevertheless, Sainz finished a few places behind Max Verstappen in the championship, as the Dutchman managed to take fourth place twice with his Toro Rosso.

Where the 2016 season started with the same driver duo, it was Verstappen who moved on to Red Bull Racing after four races. Daniil Kvyat returned to Scuderia Toro Rosso to join Sainz. Sainz proved himself once again and finished with 46 points, P12 in the championship, two places higher than Kvyat, who still had a podium finish with Red Bull to his name.

Team exchange

With Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz as a duo, Toro Rosso started the 2017 season unchanged. After Sainz finished fourth in Singapore, it was also confirmed that the Spaniard would not return to the same garage the following year. In fact, Sainz would join Renault as a teammate for Nico Hulkenberg. All part of the big exchange between Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Renault and Honda.

In exchange for the Spaniard, Toro Rosso were allowed to end their contract with Renault and switch to Honda: something that would allow Red Bull to see if it would be worthwhile to also switch to the Japanese engine in the future. Carlos Sainz was lent to Renault, but was still under contract with Red Bull. 

In 2018 Carlos drove for Renault, but there was constant uncertainty in the mind of the Spaniard. Nico Hulkenberg had nothing to worry about and finished the season in seventh place. Three places behind and thirteen points poorer, Carlos Sainz had to fear for his place in the sport. Only if another teammate could be found next to Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso could the Spaniard go his own way.

In 2019 Carlos Sainz finally found peace at McLaren under Zak Brown, Andreas Seidl and James Key. The 'Smooth Operator' impressed with a sixth place in the championship and put McLaren, together with his British teammate, back closer to the top.

Carlos Sainz in 2021

After a solid two years at McLaren Sainz replaces Vettel at Ferrari and will be wearing red for the 2021 season.