Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. will conclude his partnership with Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season and has signed a contract with Williams Racing for the upcoming season and beyond. Sainz, known as the “Smooth Operator,” will drive his final race for the Ferrari Scuderia on December 8 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Sainz’s time with Ferrari began in 2021. He won his first ever Grand Prix at the 2022 Silverstone Grand Prix, followed by victories at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix and the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
The 30-year-old driver’s journey began at a young age. Sainz was born on September 1, 1994, in Madrid, Spain to Carlos Sainz Sr., a two-time World Rally champion, and Reyes Vázquez de Castro. His father has been his number one supporter throughout his entire career.
Sainz’s racing career began in karting at the age of seven. He transitioned to Junior Formulae in 2010, winning his first title in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup in 2011. In the 2010 season, he signed as a member of the Red Bull junior team.
His Formula 1 debut came in 2015 with Scuderia Toro Rosso, debuting alongside Max Verstappen. Sainz remained with the team until the 2017 US Grand Prix, after which he moved to Renault for the 2018 season. Wanting a change, he ended up signing with the McLaren racing team from 2019 to 2020. He achieved his first F1 podium at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and another at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix during that time.
The move to Ferrari, one of the best teams in the world, was a major step in Sainz’s career. He replaced the departing German racer Sebastian Vettel on the team, and while his rookie year was below expectations, he has since secured multiple wins. Throughout his career, Sainz has won three Grands Prix, five pole positions, four fastest laps and 23 podium finishes.
