Carlos Sainz F1 Profile & Career Stats

Carlos Sainz jr. Biography

Carlos Sainz jr.

As the son of a former World Rally Champion who shares his name, Carlos Sainz has a racing pedigree that matched his first team-mate Max Verstappen, son of Jos Verstappen.

Sainz and Verstappen did some a battle at Toro Rosso in 2015, in what is one of the most fascinating sub-plots to an intriguing season.

Sainz is a latecomer to the grid, as he wasn’t expected to be racing in Formula 1 in 2015.

Sebastian Vettel’s move to Ferrari freed up some room at Red Bull and the management picked Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat.

However, Sainz should not be taken lightly. His junior career is impressive and it is clear he has raw speed and potential. But the 20-year-old has been fast-tracked into motorsport’s top division after just a solitary season in GP3 and a Formula Renault 3.5 championship last season.

Toro Rosso are were confident that Sainz would be a success, and both they and Red Bull were impressed with how he has performed in testing events. That’s no substitute for the real thing though, and Sainz will be scrutinised from the start.

2016 was a good season for Carlos he scored 46 points and finished 6th as best result in 3 races. If it wasn't for Max Verstappen he certainly would have replaced Daniil Kvyat instead of Max. The Toro Rosso STR11 was a very good chassis, except the 2015 Ferrari power unit wasn't up to the job to show their real speed.

Carlos Sainz Jr as Renault driver

In the 2017 season, Sainz showed his skill with the Renault powered Toro Rosso STR12. The car was compared to the grid about as fast as last years STR11. But his performance compared to his teammate Daniel Kvyat was outstanding. The Spanish driver scored 48 points while the Russian driver only scored 4 points at Toro Rosso.

Because underperforming Renault driver Jolyon Palmer had to leave and McLaren wanted to get rid of their Honda engine nightmare, Carlos got an opportunity to switch from Toro Rosso to factory team Renault. He was allowed to race the last four races for Renault and was giving his new teammate Nico Hulkenberg a hard time at the moment he stepped in the RS17.

In the start of 2018, Renault thought they would be closer to the top 3 teams. Carlos was able to score 1 point in Melbourne but was hoping to do better than his teammate Hulkenberg who finished 7th in the championship with 69 points. Sainz scored a total of 53 points in 2018. His best result was 6th in the last race of the season at Abu Dhabi.

In 2019 he replaced the empty seat at McLaren, that was leftover by Fernando Alonso's F1 exit. His teammate will be the youngest McLaren driver ever: Lando Norris. The current season started with problems for the Spanish driver. He out-qualified Norris in the first three races but was not able to score points in that span.

On the 28th of April, Sainz scored his first points for McLaren at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with a solid 7th place. That race started a streak of high-quality performances which helped the Spaniard to score points in eight of the last nine Grands Prix before the summer break, including two 5th places in a row in Germany and Hungary.

Carlos Sainz, McLaren MCL34, on a straight Brazilian GP F1/2019

Sainz scored points in just three of the first seven races of the second half of 2019, he earned his first podium with an amazing drive during the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. Sainz's car lost power during Q1 and he had to start the race from 20th of the grid. In the race, he spent the first half of the race making great overtaking manoeuvres.

Two late Safety Car periods and brave calls by the McLaren pit wall put Sainz in position to score a good amount of points. With the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc out and the fight between Lewis Hamilton and Alex Albon, Sainz finished the race in fourth. Hamilton admitted responsibility in a crash which sent Albon to the back of the grid and was given a 5-second penalty after the race.

Sainz was promoted to third but was under investigation for illegal use of the DRS, however, he was not penalised and kept his third place. Sainz's first podium in 101 F1 starts was McLaren's first since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.

He finished 2019 in sixth place in the WDC with 96 points, the best tally in his Formula 1 career. His sixth-place was the highest finish for a McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in 2012.

The 2020 F1 season started slowly for Sainz, with reliability even preventing him from starting the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix. Still, the Spaniard scored the second podium of his career in the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, where he even had a big chance to take his first GP win.

Monaco race winner Max Verstappen, second-placed Carlos Sainz, and third-placed Lando Norris celebrate on the podium

Sainz suffered two consecutive retirements after his podium at Monza, but he scored points in the remaining seven races on the calendar to climb up to sixth place in the World Drivers' Championship at the end of the 2020 season.

Quite early in the 2020 season the news got out that Sainz would replace struggling Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for the 2021 and 2022 season.

Great debut season with the Scuderia Ferrari

The 2021 season saw a new teammate for Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz coming in from McLaren. The pair of Ferrari drivers looked closely matched throughout the season, although Leclerc outqualified Sainz 14-8, and also finished ahead in 14 of the 22 Grands Prix.

Moreover, the end of the season saw Carlos Sainz finishing ahead of his Ferrari teammate, with 164.5 points over Leclerc's 159.

Ultimately, Sainz finished fifth in the 2021 Formula 1 championship behind the pair of Red Bull and Mercedes drivers. He outscored his teammate 164.5 points against 159. Sainz achieved four podiums in the 2021 campaign, including one in the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, behind the two title contenders.

Competitive car for the 2022 F1 season and first win

Carlos Sainz maiden F1 win

At the start of Formula 1's new era in 2022, Ferrari came out with a tremendous car, the F1-75. The team got off to a great start, with Charles Leclerc winning the inaugural race of the year in Bahrain and Sainz finishing second.

Sainz would record four more podiums in the first nine races of the year, but mistakes and reliability certainly hindered the start of his 2022 campaign.

On 2 July 2022, Sainz recorded the first position of his career in his 151st entry.

The following day, he took his first-ever Grand Prix victory after triumphing in the 2022 British Grand Prix. It was Sainz's 150th start, making him the driver with the second-most races before reaching a Grand Prix victory.

It was also the 33rd win for Spain in Formula 1.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 leads Carlos Sainz of Spain driving (55) the Ferrari F1-75 and the rest of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on October 23, 2022

In the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, Sainz achieved the second Pole Position of his career after he was promoted to top spot of qualifying due to Max Verstappen's Red Bull receiving penalties for exceeding engine parts.

In the race, Sainz finished third for the 13th podium of his F1 career.

In the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, Sainz finished third to record his 14th F1 podium and also his 100th points-scoring finish in the series (in his 157th start).

Sainz achieved the third Pole Position of his career (second time he had been fastest in Qualifying) at the 2022 United States Grand Prix. However, his race ended in Turn 1 after Mercedes' George Russell made a mistake under braking and crashed into the Ferrari of the Spaniard.

With third in the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Sainz achieved the 15th podium of his career and his ninth of 2022.

Sainz closed the 2022 F1 season by overtaking Lewis Hamilton for fifth in the standings after the British legend had a mechanical DNF in the final race of the season.

With 246 points, a win and nine podiums, Sainz had his best year statistically. However, mistakes weren't limited for the Spaniard in 2022, and he wasn't as consistent as Ferrari hoped he would be.

Only non-Red Bull winner in the 2023 F1 season

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, 1st position, with the winners trophy during the Singapore GP at Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday September 17, 2023 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Steven Tee / LAT Images)

Carlos Sainz had a solid 2023 F1 season for Ferrari and was the only driver outside of the Red Bull main team to win a Grand Prix throughout the season (not counting Sprint Races).

For most of the season, Sainz seemed to be more comfortable in the Ferrari SF-23 compared to his race-winning teammate Charles Leclerc. At the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, after 14 consecutive victories for Red Bull in 2023, Sainz won from Pole Position in a strategic race that saw a four-driver battle for the victory at the end.

Sainz had started from Pole Position at Monza, in the race that preceded his win at Singapore, but only finished third behind the Red Bulls.

After his win in Singapore, Sainz struggled a bit with the car and could only finish on the podium once more, with a third place in the US Grand Prix after Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified. Ultimately, Leclerc finished the year in tremendous form and surpassed Sainz in the World Drivers' Championship standings.

With 200 points, Sainz was seventh in the WDC with a win, two other podiums, two Pole Positions and 10 Top-5 finishes overall.

Right before the 2024 F1 season, Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton was set to join the team in 2025, thus leaving Sainz without a seat for that campaign.

Great start to his final season with the Scuderia Ferrari

Sainz finished third in the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix to achieve his 19th F1 podium. However, Sainz missed the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia after being diagnosed with appendicitis.

The Spaniard then won the 2024 Australian Grand Prix with a solid driver to lead a Ferrari 1-2. Another podium followed at Suzuka, giving Sainz three podiums in his first three races of 2024.

Sainz recorded podiums in Monaco and Austria before struggling a bit midway through the season. After seven races without a podium, Sainz finished second in the 2024 US Grand Prix behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc.

Then, Sainz led another Ferrari 1-2 in Mexico, taking his final win with the Scuderia Ferrari.

On 29 July 2024, Williams announced Sainz as their new driver on a multi-year deal from 2025 on.

Rough start at Williams, but finished 2025 strong with a couple of podiums

Sainz's start at Williams was not smooth, as he crashed in the first race in Melbourne.

Third-placed Carlos Sainz (ESP), Atlassian Williams Racing at the end of the race.
21.09.2025. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 17, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit, Azerbaijan, Race Day.

He scored points in the second race, in China, with a 10th place.

Sainz put together a string of point-scoring finishes in the first half of the season, while his teammate, Alex Albon, scored a trio of Top-5 finishes. Sainz had a mid-season slump, where he went six races without scoring (he did not even start the Austrian GP due to a gearbox issue).

In Azerbaijan, Sainz overcame a tricky Q3 for everyone and started the race from the front row, eventually finishing third and securing his first podium for Williams.

He finished on the podium again, six races later, finishing third at Qatar, matching his season-best result.

Sainz finished his first year with Williams in ninth place among drivers with 64 points, nine points behind his teammate.

Carlos Sainz F1 Helmets

Carlos Sainz F1 Cars

Carlos Sainz Championship Results

Carlos Sainz F1 Seasons Summary

Year	Team	Engine	GP	1st	2nd	3rd	Pod	Pole	Laps	FL	Avg Pts	Points
2026	Williams	Mercedes	13	0	0	0	0	0	672	0	0.46	6
2025	Williams	Mercedes	23	0	0	2	2	0	1245	0	2.78	64
2024	Ferrari	Ferrari	23	2	2	5	9	1	1343	1	12.61	290
2023	Ferrari	Ferrari	21	1	0	2	3	2	1246	0	9.38	197
2022	Ferrari	Ferrari	22	1	3	5	9	3	1033	2	11.18	246
2021	Ferrari	Ferrari	22	0	1	3	4	0	1294	0	7.48	164.5
2020	McLaren	Renault	16	0	1	0	1	0	882	1	6.56	105
2019	McLaren	Renault	21	0	0	1	1	0	1133	0	4.57	96
2018	Renault	Renault	21	0	0	0	0	0	1197	0	2.52	53
2017	Renault Toro Rosso	Renault Ferrari	20	0	0	0	0	0	883	0	2.70	54
2016	Toro Rosso	Ferrari	21	0	0	0	0	0	1154	0	2.19	46
2015	Toro Rosso	Renault	19	0	0	0	0	0	958	0	0.95	18

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