Sainz fascinated by top athlete: 'Tell me an athlete who can do this?'

Carlos Sainz managed to join a top Formula 1 team with his switch to Ferrari in early 2021. However, it does not mean the Spaniard feels he is already there. He cites Tiger Woods as the ultimate example that there is more to come from his sport.

"For me, I always look up to people who create a point in the history of their sport that changes that sport forever," Sainz reveals in an interview with The New York Times. "And Tiger is the one for me, of any other athlete in the world, that changed his sport the most."

The top golfer was in the news negatively years ago because of a series of extramarital affairs. "Even with all the issues he has been through, 99 percent of people still want Tiger to win. Tell me an athlete who can do this? No one."

In the same interview, Sainz looks back at his childhood years in karting. According to the current Ferrari driver, he was too nice to the other participants during karting in the beginning, which caused him to suffer considerable setbacks on the track.

Sainz therefore learned at this stage of his career that it is better to be the hunter than the one being hunted. He says he still benefits from this in his Formula 1 career. His father and former world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr. played an important role in this.