Carlos Sainz Jr. is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula 1 and has raced for leading teams including Scuderia Ferrari. Born on September 1, 1994, in Madrid, Spain, his full name is Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro. He is the son of Carlos Sainz, a legendary racing driver and two-time World Rally Champion, and Reyes Vázquez de Castro. He has a sister named Blanca Sainz Vázquez. Growing up in a motorsport-oriented family, Sainz was introduced to racing culture at an early age.

Carlos Sainz Jr. began his career in karting and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent. In 2008, he won the Asia-Pacific KF3 Championship and finished second in the Spanish Championship. The following year, he claimed victory in the Junior Monaco Kart Cup and secured second place in the European KF3 Championship, establishing himself as one of the most promising young drivers of his generation.

In 2010, Sainz competed in the Formula BMW Pacific season with the EuroInternational team and also participated in Formula BMW Europe. He was part of the Red Bull Junior Team program during this period. His debut race took place at Sepang as a guest driver, where he initially struggled but soon delivered strong results, including podium finishes and race victories. Across nine races, he achieved three pole positions, two wins, and two fastest laps. His Formula BMW Europe campaign included podiums at Circuit de Catalunya and consistent top finishes at Zandvoort, Valencia, and Silverstone, where he claimed his first victory of the season.

In 2012, Sainz raced for Carlin in both the British and European Formula 3 Championships. His steady progression culminated in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series, where he drove for DAMS and won the championship. This success paved the way for his entry into Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz Jr. made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso, partnering Max Verstappen. In 2016, following Verstappen’s promotion to Red Bull Racing, Sainz was teamed with Daniil Kvyat. He joined Renault for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, finishing the 2018 campaign in tenth place with 53 points, including 13 top-ten finishes from 21 races.

For the 2019 season, Sainz moved to McLaren, ending his association with Red Bull Racing. That year, he achieved his first Formula 1 podium by finishing third at the Brazilian Grand Prix and concluded the season sixth overall with 96 points. In 2020, he secured another podium with a second-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix before transferring to Scuderia Ferrari at the end of the season.

During his time with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Jr. achieved several career milestones. In 2022, he claimed his first Formula 1 pole position and maiden victory at the British Grand Prix. He secured his second career win at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023. After missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis, he returned to win the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, starting from second position on the grid.

With Ferrari signing seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, it was announced that Sainz would depart the team at the end of the 2024 season. Having completed his three-year tenure with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Jr. agreed to race for Williams for the 2025 and 2026 Formula 1 seasons, continuing his career at the highest level of motorsport.

Source: Biyografiler.com