Sainz Sr is most famous for his two titles in the World Rally Championship, which he claimed in 1990 and 1992.
Whilst the champion may be retired from the WRC, Sainz Sr has competed in the Dakar Rally since 2006, which he won for the fourth time with Audi last year.
Sainz Sr ruled out of 2025 Dakar Rally
The 2025 Dakar Rally marks the Spaniard’s 19th appearance, but he has been ruled out of the rest of the competition in a huge shock.
Sainz Sr sustained damage during Stage 2 of the event, where his car rolled over and landed on its roof.
Whilst he managed to return and finish the stage, the FIA have since inspected the car and determined that Sainz Sr cannot compete further due to damage to the car’s roll cage structure.
The elimination marks a huge blow to Ford with Sainz’s team-mate Nani Roma already out of contention, in the manufacturers first full-fledged year in the event.
Ford issued a statement which confirmed why they have been ruled out of the remainder of the Dakar Rally, and claimed no repairs could be made to that part of the car.
“Due to the damage sustained to the safety cage of vehicle #225 [Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz] during the accident in the first part of the 48-hour stage of the Dakar Rally 2025 and in accordance with FIA regulations, it has been decided to withdraw the vehicle,” it read.