Two hundred candles for Carlos Sainz
This is a special weekend for Carlos Sainz. Here on the equator, he is preparing to take part in his 200th Grand Prix, a landmark achievement he shares with only 23 other Formula 1 drivers. In Singapore last year, he took a great win, mainly down to his tactical nous in the race itself, when in the closing stages he made use of the DRS and of Norris behind him, to prevent a faster Russell from closing him down and overtaking him for the lead. The win took on greater significance come the end of the season as it turned out to be the only victory that eluded Red Bull all year long.
The Spaniard's route to the two hundred has been anything but straightforward. His father, also Carlos, is one of the greatest rally champions ever and his competitive spirit still burns bright enough for him to have taken his third win on the Dakar rally at almost 62 years of age earlier this year. Even though the son has had the support of Red Bull, it's not all been plain sailing. His first race came nine years ago on 15 March in Australia when, at barely 20 years of age, he made his debut with Toro Rosso. Alongside him in the Faenza team's pit garage was the even younger Max Verstappen. Carlos held his own against the Dutchman who was already being described as a phenomenon, which the rest of his career to date would certainly confirm as true.
A product of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme, Carlos soon realised that once Max had moved on and taken the number one driver slot at the Milton Keynes-based squad, there would not be much room for him, unless he was prepared to accept life as the second string driver. He was too young, too ambitious and, above all, too talented to settle for that. So Carlos, who could rely on good advice from his father, chose to move on, embarking on a journey that would see him race for some of the most famous teams from France, England and Italy, namely Renault, McLaren and Ferrari.
With the latter two especially, the most successful teams in the history of Formula 1, Carlos clearly helped them move forward, demonstrating not only his great talent at the wheel but also his ability to learn, while working hard for the organisation. This didn't mean he was acquiescent or passive, far from it. Those who worked with him and had no preconceived ideas of what to expect, found he was great at motivating his engineers and indeed his team-mates.
With McLaren, Carlos finally notched up his first podium finish in Brazil 2019 after over five years of trying. Then in 2022, in Ferrari colours, he took his first win at the British Grand Prix that sparked some misplaced controversy around the team favouring him over team-mate Charles Leclerc. Last year came the aforementioned win in Singapore, but this season, the last of his current contract with Ferrari, began with a nasty surprise as Maranello had decided to let him go to make way for the irresistible draw that is Lewis Hamilton in a red car. It was tough for Carlos to take, as the decision came out of the blue and put him in a difficult situation as the drivers' market had stalled, waiting to see what Verstappen might do. Difficult times and he was not shy of mentioning to the media that uncertainty over his future weighed on his mind. Then, in Jeddah, the second race of the season, he was suddenly struck down with appendicitis and had to be replaced by the team's reserve driver, Englishman Oliver Bearman, who immediately proved his worth. This situation might have floored some drivers, but not Carlos who fought back in style a fortnight later with a forceful win in Melbourne that smacked of heroics from another era.
This season has been one of ups and downs for him and for Ferrari, but in the summer break, Carlos put his signature on a new contract. It's not a case of starting over, but it does involve starting further down the current field with Williams. The famous team is making progress, but it is still a long way behind the top teams and barring an occasional surprise, it will probably take a while to become a winning force again. Carlos has never been scared of a challenge and he knows he faces one next year, with another step on his journey towards the top of the sport that has always been his goal.
A few weeks ago on 1st September, he blew out the candles on a 30th birthday cake and now there will no doubt be more cake and candles for the 200th Grand Prix. What better celebratory gift than another Singapore win?
