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F1 2024 Season

Driver profile: Carlos Sainz

Find out more about the current Ferrari driver who has had a successful start to the 2024 season.

Bio

Carlos Sainz is a Spanish driver, racing under the number 55. He currently drives for Ferrari in the Formula One Championship.

Sainz is not only an F1 driver, but a golf fanatic too. He plays golf with his former McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, and Williams F1 driver, Alex Albon.

Carlos Sainz Jr. is the son of famous Spanish rally driver, Carlos Sainz Sr, who most recently won the 2024 Dakar rally with Audi earlier this year. Therefore, Sainz Jr. has racing in his blood.

Image Credit: Redbubble
History

During the 2023 season, Sainz scored 200 points, resulting in him finishing in seventh place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Throughout Sainz’s journey in F1, he has achieved 21 podiums and a total of 1037.5 points! The half point was scored from the events of Spa-Francorchamps in 2021.

Image Credit: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

So far, he has raced for the following F1 teams:

  • He debuted in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2015 and continued with the team until mid 2017.
  • Sainz then joined Renault in mid 2017 and was with them through 2018.
  • For the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Sainz joined McLaren.
  • From the 2021 season to the present season (2024), Sainz is driving with Ferrari. But, he has lost his 2025 Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton.
Image Credit: Prestige
Current performance

So far in the 2024 season, Sainz has performed incredibly well. Due to his uncertainty for the 2025 season, pressure is on the Spaniard to seek a seat next year. In the most recent race in Japan, Sainz improved from P4 in qualifying to a P3 result in the race, gaining his third podium of this season. Similarly, he achieved P3 in Sakhir. Australia was his best performance of the 2024 so far, he achieved a victory at the Melbourne track.

Image Credit: Motorsport.com
Future

As mentioned, Sainz is yet to secure a seat for the 2025 season. There has been lots of speculation around his position for next year. Hamilton has voiced his support for the Mercedes seat to be taken by Sainz. Furthermore, Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, is aware of what an ‘asset’ Sainz is, so all is not lost completely for the Spaniard. 

Carlos Sainz is a very appealing driver talent for any team, so the 29-year-old driver will hopefully be remaining in F1.

Written by Frankie.

Featured Image Credit: Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty Images

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