Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro, also known as Carlos Sainz Jr. or simply Carlos Sainz, is a Spanish racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He was born on September 1, 1994, and is the son of double World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz Sr.
Sainz started his career by racing for Carlin in the British and European Formula 3 championships in 2012. He then went on to win the championship in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 season while racing for DAMS, before making his move to F1 with Toro Rosso. In 2019, Sainz joined McLaren, ending his contract with Red Bull Racing. He achieved his first podium finish with third place at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. At the end of the 2020 season, Sainz moved to Ferrari.
In the 2022 British Grand Prix, Sainz achieved his first career win and pole position in Formula One.
Discover all the facts about Carlos Sainz Jr, the rising F1 star. Learn about his age, net worth, full name, wins, height, siblings, and girlfriend. Find out about his contract, where he lives, and if he is getting married soon. Keep up with the latest news and updates on Carlos Sainz Jr’s F1 career and personal life.
Carlos Sainz Jr. Bio/Wiki Table
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro |
| Nickname | Carlos Sainz Jr. or simply Carlos Sainz |
| Date of Birth | September 1, 1994 |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Height | 5 Feet 10 Inches |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Teams | Scuderia Ferrari |
Parents
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s parents are Carlos Sainz Sr. and Reyes Vázquez de Castro.
Carlos Sainz Sr. is a retired Spanish rally driver who won the World Rally Championship twice in 1990 and 1992. He also won the Dakar Rally twice in 2010 and 2018. Sainz Sr. is considered one of the most successful rally drivers in history and has been a major influence on his son’s career.
Reyes Vázquez de Castro is Carlos Sainz Jr.’s mother. She has been less involved in motorsports than her husband, but has been a supportive presence in her son’s career.
Both of Sainz Jr.’s parents have been important figures in his life, providing him with guidance, support, and inspiration throughout his career.
Age & Height
Carlos Sainz Jr. was born on September 1, 1994, which makes him 28 years old as of 2023. He is 1.78 meters (5 feet 10 inches) tall.
Early Career
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s early career in motorsports started in karting when he was just nine years old. He raced in various karting competitions from 2003 to 2007, winning several regional and national titles in Spain.
In 2008, Sainz made his debut in car racing by participating in the Spanish Formula BMW Championship. He won two races and finished fifth in the overall standings in his rookie season.
The following year, Sainz moved up to the European Formula BMW Championship, where he finished fourth with three victories. He also made his debut in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and finished 16th in the standings.
In 2010, Sainz competed in the British Formula 3 Championship for the first time. He finished ninth in the overall standings with two podium finishes. He also participated in the Formula 3 Euro Series and the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup.
In 2011, Sainz continued to race in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and finished second in the championship with four victories. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault and finished 13th in the standings.
In 2012, Sainz moved to the British Formula 3 Championship and competed for the Carlin team. He finished fifth in the standings with four podium finishes. He also participated in the European Formula 3 Championship and finished 19th.
Overall, Sainz’s early career was marked by consistent performances and occasional victories, which earned him recognition and opportunities to move up the ladder in motorsports.
Karting Record
Carlos Sainz began his motorsport career in karting, winning the Madrid Championship in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he won the Junior World Karting Championship and the European Championship, and finished second in the Spanish Championship. The following year, he won the European Championship again and finished second in the World Championship. In 2007, he won the Italian Open Masters, the Andrea Margutti Trophy, and the Copa Campeones Trophy. His success in karting led to his progression to car racing, where he has since become a successful Formula One driver.
Formula One Career
In 2010, Sainz joined the Red Bull Junior Team. He was given his first opportunity to drive a Formula One car during the young drivers’ test at Silverstone Circuit in July 2013, where he drove both the Toro Rosso STR8 and the Red Bull RB9.
Sainz revealed that he had discussions with the struggling Caterham team for a potential race debut during the 2014 season, but the two parties failed to come to an agreement.
Following his victory in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Sainz was awarded a test drive in the Red Bull RB10 during the post-season test after the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Toro Rosso (2015–2017)
In the 2015 Formula One season, Sainz drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen, following Daniil Kvyat’s move to Red Bull. He chose 55 as his race number and finished ninth in his debut race in Australia. Sainz scored points at the Malaysian Grand Prix but spun out at the Chinese Grand Prix and suffered a wheel issue in Bahrain. He achieved his highest grid position of fifth at the Spanish Grand Prix and finished ninth. He suffered consecutive retirements due to electrical, fuel pressure, and power unit issues, as well as a crash at the Russian Grand Prix. Sainz finished the season 15th in the Drivers’ Championship, scoring 18 points.
2016
Sainz finished ninth at the season opener Australian Grand Prix, but retired from the Bahrain Grand Prix after a collision. After Verstappen’s promotion to Red Bull, Sainz gained a new teammate in Daniil Kvyat. Sainz recorded three points finishes including his best career finish at the Spanish Grand Prix and three consecutive eighth-place finishes. He also had six races without points and a retirement from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a collision with Jolyon Palmer. Sainz finished twelfth in the Drivers’ Championship with 46 of Toro Rosso’s 63 points.
2017
He and Kvyat continued with Toro Rosso for the 2017 season. Sainz had points finishes in the first two races but collided with Lance Stroll during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Sainz scored three more points finishes, including a sixth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. He also collided with Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa during the Canadian Grand Prix, and spun in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Sainz retired from the Austrian Grand Prix and was eliminated from the British Grand Prix after a collision with Kvyat. Prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, it was announced that Sainz would join Renault in 2018. Sainz finished fourth in Singapore and was replaced by Pierre Gasly for the Malaysian Grand Prix. He scored 48 of Toro Rosso’s 52 points at this stage.
Renault (2017–2018)
Sainz joined Renault earlier than planned, replacing Jolyon Palmer for the final four races of 2017 and partnering with Nico Hülkenberg. In the United States Grand Prix, Sainz started and finished in seventh place. During the Mexican Grand Prix, Sainz spun after moving up to fifth place on the first lap, then retired with steering issues. In the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he was unable to finish due to a loose wheel after a pit stop. Sainz finished the season in ninth place in the Drivers’ Championship with 54 points.
During the first eight races of the 2018 season, Sainz secured top ten qualifications and scored points in all but one race, finishing eleventh at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He achieved a season-best finish of fifth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, taking advantage of a collision between Red Bull drivers. Despite starting in eighth place, Sainz finished tenth at the Monaco Grand Prix and criticised his team’s tyre strategy. Sainz’s MGU-K failed during the French Grand Prix, causing him to drop from sixth to eighth place. He scored points in five of the next seven races, with a best qualifying performance of fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Sainz ended the season in tenth place in the Drivers’ Championship, with 53 of Renault’s 122 points.
McLaren (2019–2020)
After joining McLaren in 2019, Sainz had a rocky start with no points in the first three races due to incidents. However, he consistently scored points thereafter, often finishing as the highest-placed driver behind the top three teams. Notable results included finishing eighth at the Austrian Grand Prix having started nineteenth and fifth place at the German Grand Prix despite spinning. Sainz earned his first podium in Formula One at the Brazilian Grand Prix after starting in last place and finishing in third, later elevated from fourth place due to Hamilton’s penalty. He finished the season in sixth place in the drivers’ championship, scoring 96 of McLaren’s 145 points.
Sainz had a successful start to the 2020 season, finishing fifth in the Austrian Grand Prix and achieving his best career qualifying result of third in the Styrian Grand Prix. However, a slow pit stop dropped him to ninth place by the end. He then suffered a tyre puncture in the British Grand Prix and failed to start the Belgian Grand Prix due to a power unit issue. At the Italian Grand Prix, Sainz finished second, his second podium and career-best race finish at the time. He finished the season in sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship with six top-five finishes and 105 of McLaren’s 202 points.
Ferrari (2021–present)
In 2021, Sainz began driving for Scuderia Ferrari, replacing Sebastian Vettel. He finished eighth in his first race at the Bahrain Grand Prix and progressed to fifth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Despite starting fifth, he failed to score points at the Portuguese Grand Prix due to a strategy error. He took his first podium for Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing second. Sainz finished the season with four podium finishes, including a third-place finish at the Russian Grand Prix, and ended up fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with 164.5 points, ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Sainz remained with Ferrari for the 2022 season and qualified third at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He took second place after Verstappen retired, securing a Ferrari 1-2 finish. He retired at the Australian Grand Prix, crashed at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and finished fourth at the Spanish Grand Prix despite spinning earlier in the race. Sainz earned his first-ever pole position and win at the British Grand Prix. At the United States Grand Prix, he claimed his third pole position but retired after a collision with George Russell. Sainz has since signed a contract extension with Ferrari until the end of 2024.
Racing Record
Here’s a summary of Carlos Sainz Jr.’s racing record in Formula One:
- 2015: Toro Rosso (15th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2016: Toro Rosso (12th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2017: Toro Rosso (9th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2018: Renault (10th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2019: McLaren (6th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2020: McLaren (6th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2021: Ferrari (5th in Drivers’ Championship)
- 2022: Ferrari (3rd in Drivers’ Championship)
Throughout his career, Sainz has achieved:
- 3 pole positions
- 2 race wins
- 11 podium finishes
- 1 fastest lap
- 563 career points
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Girlfriend Isabel Hernaez
Carlos Sainz, the Spanish Formula One driver, is known for keeping his personal life private. He has been linked to his girlfriend, Claudia Hernaez, a journalist and press officer, since 2019. However, the couple has chosen to keep their relationship out of the public eye and have not shared any pictures together on social media.
Hernaez currently works as a press officer for fashion brands Scalpers Company and Victoria Collection. In 2022, the couple was spotted on the island of Mallorca, sparking rumors that they might be spending some quality time together.
Little is known about how the couple met, as they have kept their relationship quite secretive. However, some rumors suggest that they were first seen together on a vacation in Formentera.
Despite their efforts to keep their relationship private, the couple has been seen together at various events, including the Spanish Grand Prix, where Hernaez was spotted cheering on Sainz from the Ferrari garage.
While Sainz focuses on his career, Hernaez keeps a low profile, and the couple seems content with keeping their relationship out of the spotlight.
Net Worth
Carlos Sainz has had a successful career in Formula One, earning a net worth of $8 million and an annual salary of $8 million during his time at McLaren.
In 2021, he joined Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel’s replacement and continued to earn an on-track salary of $8 million without bonuses. Sainz’s performance in the 2020 season was impressive, finishing in sixth place in the driver’s championship with 105 points and 6 top-5 finishes, both career highs.
In April 2022, Sainz extended his partnership with Ferrari until 2024, likely earning a salary of around $10 million per year.
With reports estimating his net worth at $47 million, Sainz’s career in Formula One has been lucrative.
Facts
- Carlos Sainz Jr. was born on September 1, 1994, in Madrid, Spain.
- He is the son of two-time World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz Sr.
- Sainz Jr. started karting at the age of seven and quickly moved up the ranks to compete in various motorsport categories.
- He made his Formula One debut in 2015 with the Toro Rosso team.
- Sainz Jr. has since raced for Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari, achieving two pole positions and one race win to date.
- He is known for his speed and consistency on the track, as well as his ability to work well with his teammates and engineers.
- Sainz Jr. is an avid football fan and supports Real Madrid.
- He is also a keen cyclist and often uses cycling as part of his training regime.
- Sainz Jr. is fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian.
- He stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm).
FAQs
When and where was Carlos Sainz born?
Carlos Sainz was born on April 12, 1994, in Madrid, Spain.
How tall is Carlos Sainz?
Carlos Sainz is 1.77 meters (5 feet 10 inches) tall.
What is Carlos Sainz’s net worth?
Carlos Sainz’s estimated net worth is around $47 million according to reports.
What teams has Carlos Sainz raced for in Formula One?
Carlos Sainz has raced for five teams in Formula One: Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Has Carlos Sainz won a Formula One race?
Yes, Carlos Sainz won his first Formula One race at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
What is Carlos Sainz’s relationship status?
Carlos Sainz is in a relationship with Isabel Hernaez, a journalist and press officer.
What is Carlos Sainz’s most successful season in Formula One?
Carlos Sainz’s most successful season in Formula One was in 2019, where he finished 6th in the Drivers’ Championship and achieved his first podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
How long has Carlos Sainz extended his partnership with Ferrari?
In April 2022, Carlos Sainz extended his partnership with Ferrari until the end of 2024.
