Carlos Sainz

Biography of Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro, better known now as Carlos Sainz Jr., is the son of Spanish rallying great Carlos Sainz Sr. and an F1 driver currently racing for the mighty Scuderia Ferrari team.

Born on September 1, 1994 in the Spanish capital Madrid, Carlos Jr is now 30 years of age.

He stands at a height of 5ft 10ins tall (1.78m).

Carlos Sainz in F1

Carlos Sainz Jr. entered Formula 1 with Toro Rosso as a Red Bull junior in 2015 as a teammate to Max Verstappen.

A solid debut season saw the Spaniard finish 15th, earning him a second year with the team. Two sixth-place finishes—at the US and Brazilian Grands Prix—earned Sainz his best results of his first two years as he improved his championship position to 12th.

His third and final year with Toro Rosso was another step forward, with a fourth in Singapore proving his worth in the sport. When Renault dropped Jolyon Palmer, Sainz, who had signed for the team for 2018, was called up to the Enstone-based team for the US Grand Prix.

A string of solid, if not spectacular, results set Sainz up for his first full season with the team, as he finished year three in the top 10 for the first time.

2018 was a difficult year for Sainz, however. Despite consistent points finishes, teammate Nico Hulkenberg was regularly outperforming him, and, at the end of the season, Sainz would once again change teams, this time to replace Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

As a partner with Lando Norris, Sainz helped return McLaren to form in 2019. Arguably, Sainz was one of the best performers of the season, finishing sixth in the standings ahead of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who both had stints with Red Bull during the season. Sainz was regularly the best of the rest behind the top three teams, with a maiden podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix the highlight of the year.

In the delayed 2020 season, Sainz was again on top form with McLaren. Fifth at the season opener in Austria was followed by a fastest lap at the same venue at the Styrian Grand Prix. If it wasn't for a string of bad luck with pit-stop issues and mechanical failures, Sainz's sixth-place finish in the championship could have been even better.

His performances at McLaren were enough for Ferrari to come calling for his services.

Sainz was hugely impressive during his first year with Ferrari, taking four podiums and finishing fifth in the drivers' standings, outscoring his teammate Charles Leclerc.

In 2022, Sainz achieved his first career win at Silverstone and went on to secure nine podium finishes, three pole positions, and a total of 246 points. He finished the season in fifth place in the drivers' standings.

Moving on to 2023, the Spaniard was able to secure three podium finishes and earn a total of 200 points, placing him in the seventh position in the championship.

Despite the all-Red Bull-dominated season, Sainz managed to secure his second career win in Singapore, which was a remarkable one as he became the only non-Red Bull driver to achieve a race victory in the season.

Net worth Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Net Worth

A F1 driver's contract and salary with a team is, of course, confidential information, but the contract of Carlos Sainz Jr. is believed to be worth $14 million (salary $8m, bonuses $6m), although personal sponsors will inevitably boost his annual income.

Carlos Sainz Girlfriend

Carlos Sainz Jr. is extremely protective of his private life, so don't expect to see regular Instagram pictures showing him and his current girlfriend.

Sainz has though been romantically linked with the Scottish model Rebecca Donaldson.

Carlos Sainz Family

As depicted in the hit Netflix documentary series 'Drive to Survive', Carlos Sainz Jr. is a real family man.

We've already told you about his dad, Carlos Sr., who was World Rallying Champion twice, in 1990 and 1992. He married Carlos Jr.'s mother, Reyes Vázquez de Castro, in 1992.

Carlos Jr. has one sister, Blanca Sainz Vázquez.

Carlos Sainz Helmets

Sainz's helmet takes a heavy influence from the Spanish flag, with yellow and red predominant in the design. Black is also included on the top of the design, with Sainz's number 55 adorned atop the helmet.