There are plenty of sons of illustrious drivers who often want to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. One might think that Carlos Sainz Jr. would be one of them. But no: while his father triumphed in rallying, a discipline that demands constant adaptation from the driver, his son prefers to go around, again and again, the same tarmac layouts.
And it has always wanted to follow in the footsteps of another illustrious driver: Fernando Alonso.
Gasoline in the Veins
Some years ago, in a special edition of the radio show ‘El Larguero’, broadcast from the Carlos Sainz Center —the Sainz family’s go-kart track—, three generations of Spanish drivers gathered: Carlos Sainz Sr., his son Carlos Sainz Jr., and Pedro Martínez de la Rosa. In the conversation, they recalled the origins of Sainz Jr.’s vocation in motor racing.
Carlos Sainz Jr. revealed how his passion for racing arose: at ten years old, after meeting Fernando Alonso in the midst of the world title battle, he told his father with determination that he wanted to emulate his path. “Dad, I want to be like Fernando Alonso”, he told him.
Carlos Sainz Sr., for his part, recalled that, in the beginning, his son’s interest in go-karts started almost by chance, sparked by a friend who lent him a vehicle. Although his first competitive experience ended in a spectacular accident — “I said the go-karts were over” —, the young Carlos insisted until he managed to continue.
The discussion shifted to the 2017 single-seaters, whose aesthetics, with wide tires and prominent wings, excited Sainz Jr.: “When I saw the car, I thought: this is a real Formula 1.” The Madrid-born driver admitted that, at that moment, his physical preparation was one of the most intense of his career, taking full advantage of the time before the F1 calendar limited his training opportunities.
Back then he was racing with Red Bull, which, satisfied with his performances in key races such as Monaco and Spain, preferred to retain him for at least one more season as a back-up option.
Martínez de la Rosa emphasized the recognition the young driver already enjoyed in the paddock: “Teams value Carlos and have him on their lists,” including even Mercedes’ interest.
Since 2017, Sainz Jr. has consolidated that projection. After his stint with Toro Rosso, where he showed solidity alongside Verstappen, he moved to Renault at the end of 2017, where he achieved his first F1 podium (Azerbaijan 2017). In 2019 he signed with McLaren, adding another podium in Brazil 2019, and in 2021 he arrived at Ferrari, where he secured his first victory at Silverstone 2022, followed by others in Singapore 2023 and Australia 2024.
However, Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari in 2025 led him to Williams, where his 2026 season has been challenging. The single-seater does not meet expectations, and the Madrid-born driver, with only six points to date, has admitted that the team is “farther from the head than we thought.”
His contract ends at the end of the year, and although Audi — where Mattia Binotto, his former Ferrari boss, runs the team — appears as an option, they already have Bortoleto and Hülkenberg under contract for 2027.
Sainz has acknowledged that he will assess his future during the summer, not ruling out renewing with Williams if the project shows signs of recovery. Williams is offering Carlos Sainz 30 million euros per year to renew his contract, which could make him the third-highest paid driver in Formula 1, even ahead of Fernando Alonso.
Images | Red Bull, Williams
