Carlos Sainz Sr.
Carlos Sainz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carlos Sainz Cenamor April 12, 1962 Madrid, Spain |
| Occupation | Rally driver |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Two-time World Rally Champion (1990, 1992), four Dakar Rally wins, founder of Acciona |
Carlos Sainz Cenamor (born 12 April 1962) is a Spanish rally driver renowned for securing the World Rally Championship drivers' crown with Toyota in and , while also finishing as runner-up on four occasions. He played a significant role in helping Subaru (), Toyota (), and Citroën (, , ) claim Constructors' Championships. In 2018, Sainz competed as an official driver for Team Peugeot Total. His achievements were recognized with the Princess of Asturias Sports Award in 2020. Additionally, he established the Acciona | Sainz XE Team to take part in Extreme E, competing in its initial two seasons alongside Laia Sanz.
Known by the nickname El Matador, Sainz held the record for the highest number of career starts in the WRC until co-driver Miikka Anttila surpassed him. Notably, he was the first non-Nordic competitor to triumph at Finland’s 1000 Lakes Rally and came close to similar success at the Swedish Rally with several podium finishes. Outside of WRC, Sainz boasts four Dakar Rally victories (2010, 2018, 2020, 2024), won the Race of Champions in 1997, and claimed the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title in 1990. Throughout his career, his primary co-drivers included Antonio Boto, Luis Moya, Marc Martí, and Lucas Cruz.
Early life
Born in Madrid, Sainz initially engaged in football and squash before focusing on motorsport. At age 16, he became Spain's squash champion. His first experience behind the wheel came at 11 years old when driving his sister's recently acquired SEAT 600. During a journey through the Alps, he demonstrated his driving abilities while piloting a friend's SEAT 131, which led to his initial role as co-driver alongside Juanjo Lacalle.
Sainz began his motorsport journey competing in Formula Ford while still active in football and squash. Prior to dedicating himself fully to racing, he pursued law studies up to the intermediate level.
Early career (1980–1988)
Sainz commenced rallying activities in 1980. The following year, he claimed victory in the first-ever 'Copa Panda', a one-make rally series organized by SEAT aimed at nurturing young talent. By 1982, he was appointed as SEAT's factory driver piloting a Group 2 SEAT Panda within Spanish Championship Rallies.
In 1986, driving a Group B Renault 5 Turbo, he finished second overall in the Spanish Rally Championship, then went on to secure championship titles in both 1987 and 1988 behind the wheel of a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
Ford granted him his initial World Rally Championship starts during the 1987 season, where he placed seventh at the Tour de Corse and eighth at the RAC Rally. Partnered with co-driver Luis Moya—who remained his trusted teammate for fifteen years—Sainz achieved two fifth-place finishes at the Tour de Corse and Rallye Sanremo in 1988, along with seventh place on the challenging RAC Rally held on icy roads.
As Ford's rear-wheel-drive Sierra increasingly fell behind four-wheel-drive competitors, retaining drivers like Sainz and Didier Auriol became difficult. Following the conclusion of 1988, both drivers departed; Auriol moved to Lancia while Sainz joined Toyota Team Europe, Toyota’s rally outfit based in Cologne, Germany.
Toyota (1989–1992)
Earlier iterations of the Toyota Celica primarily excelled in endurance rallies such as the Safari Rally, but the collaboration with Carlos Sainz rapidly enhanced their competitiveness. During the 1989 season, despite experiencing four retirements, Sainz achieved three consecutive podium finishes. His teammate, two-time world champion Juha Kankkunen, secured the Celica GT-Four ST165’s maiden victory at the first-ever Rally Australia. Mechanical issues in the final event prevented Sainz from clinching his inaugural World Championship title by a narrow margin.
In the 1990 season, Sainz triumphed in four rallies, including prestigious events like the Acropolis Rally, Rally New Zealand, and notably the 1000 Lakes Rally, where he became the first non-Nordic winner. This success earned him his initial world drivers' championship, ending Lancia’s stronghold on the title since 1987.
The season saw both Sainz and Kankkunen each claim five victories, setting a WRC record for most wins by two drivers on the same team within a single year. Heading into the final round, Sainz held a slim one-point advantage; however, Kankkunen clinched his third championship by winning the RAC Rally. Both drivers surpassed previous points records, finishing with 150 and 143 points respectively.
Competing in the 1992 season behind the wheel of the updated ST185 Celica, Sainz secured significant wins at the Safari Rally and his home event, the Rally Catalunya. The championship unfolded as a closely contested three-way battle, with Sainz’s victory at the RAC Rally and rivals’ retirements ultimately earning him his second drivers' title.
To celebrate these achievements, Toyota released a limited edition of 440 Celica GT-Four ST185 units in the UK, adorned with Sainz’s name and decals. These were part of a broader production of 5,000 cars required for WRC homologation. It is reported that Sainz still owns one of these special editions, which he occasionally uses to travel to Real Madrid matches.
Lancia (1993)
Following his world championship win, Sainz departed Toyota at the close of 1992 due to conflicting sponsorship arrangements and joined the private yet Lancia-supported Jolly Club. Lancia, having dominated with six consecutive manufacturers' titles, entered 1993 with their aging Delta model receiving minimal updates. As a result, its competitiveness declined over the course of the season. Among Sainz’s notable performances were runner-up finishes at both the Acropolis Rally and initially at the San Remo Rally, although he was later disqualified from San Remo for using illegal fuel. He concluded the year eighth in the drivers' standings, which were topped by Toyota's Juha Kankkunen. Lancia exited rallying after this season.
Subaru (1994–1995)
In 1994, Sainz joined the rising force of the Subaru World Rally Team, taking over from Ari Vatanen. His input was instrumental in transforming the new Impreza into a formidable competitor against established rivals Toyota and Ford. Throughout much of that season, Subaru often outperformed Ford. Although Toyota secured the manufacturers' championship, Didier Auriol narrowly edged out Sainz for the drivers' crown. The following year, 1995, saw Sainz victorious at events such as the Monte Carlo Rally, Rally Portugal, and Rally Catalunya, where team directives favored him over teammate Colin McRae, generating some internal friction. Both drivers entered the final round as championship leaders; despite mechanical difficulties, McRae ultimately prevailed. Subaru earned their first manufacturers' title that year with a triple podium finish that included future champion Richard Burns. Subsequently, Sainz would partner with McRae at both Ford and Citroën.
Return to Ford (1996–1997)
Initially planned to rejoin Toyota in 1996, Sainz instead signed with the factory Ford World Rally Team following Toyota's suspension linked to a turbo restrictor controversy. Supported by Repsol sponsorship, he competed in the Ford Escort RS Cosworth and subsequently the Escort World Rally Car. During 1996, Sainz claimed victory at the first-ever Rally Indonesia and added five more podium finishes, concluding the season third in the drivers' standings behind Mitsubishi's Tommi Mäkinen and Subaru's McRae. In 1997, he repeated his win in Indonesia and triumphed at the Acropolis Rally, but ultimately fell short of the championship against Mäkinen and McRae. That year, he also secured the title at the Race of Champions.
Return to Toyota (1998–1999)
Sainz returned to Toyota, joining forces with Didier Auriol to further develop the Corolla World Rally Car project launched in 1997 as part of Toyota’s reentry into the world championship after their 1995 ban.
He started strong by winning the season opener at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1998 and later took victory at Rally New Zealand. With his closest competitor Tommi Mäkinen retiring early in the final event, Sainz needed only a fourth-place finish to clinch the title. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue forced him to retire just kilometers from the finish line, handing both drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships to Mäkinen and Mitsubishi Ralliart.
The 1999 campaign was less remarkable for Sainz, although Toyota secured the manufacturers' crown amid their growing focus on Formula One. He reached eight podiums but did not secure any wins, ending fifth in the driver rankings behind teammate Auriol, who won the inaugural China Rally.
Second return to Ford (2000–2002)
In 2000, Sainz began a three-year stint back with Ford alongside McRae. He won the first-ever Cyprus Rally and finished third overall in the drivers' championship.
During 2001, despite failing to claim a victory, five podium finishes and consistent points scoring kept Sainz competitive; he ended sixth overall, just eleven points shy of champion Subaru’s Richard Burns. McRae earned three wins but crashed out during the final round. Ford lost out on the manufacturers' title to Peugeot.
In , Sainz was declared winner of Rally Argentina following disqualifications of two leading Peugeot competitors. This sole victory contributed to him finishing third in the drivers' standings behind dominant Marcus Grönholm, narrowly ahead of teammate McRae by a single point.
Citroën (2003–2005)
After being released by Ford, Sainz alongside McRae joined Citroën for . Sainz achieved a win in Turkey—the first gravel triumph for the Citroën Xsara WRC—and placed third overall. Continuing with Citroën in , he earned his final world rally victory at the 2004 Rally Argentina. At that year’s Rally Catalonia, following his retirement announcement, he was widely acknowledged by peers and officials as one of rallying’s all-time greats. He finished fourth in the championship but missed the last event in Australia due to an accident before competition began.
Although officially retired after 2004, Sainz returned at Citroën’s invitation to substitute for underperforming driver François Duval. His two comeback events resulted in strong fourth and third-place finishes, demonstrating his lasting competitiveness at age 43.
Later stages of rally raid career
In 2006, Sainz competed in the Dakar Rally representing Volkswagen, with two-time champion Andreas Schulz as his co-driver. He continued with Volkswagen in 2007, this time alongside former winner Michel Perin. That year, Sainz clinched the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup title with Volkswagen and triumphed at the 2008 Central Europe Rally, an event held as a replacement for the canceled Dakar Rally. Although he led the 2009 Dakar until stage 12 before suffering a crash, he secured victory at the Silk Way Rally driving for Volkswagen.
Partnering with fellow Spaniard Lucas Cruz in 2010, Sainz achieved his first Dakar Rally championship, narrowly edging out teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah. He also earned his second Silk Way Rally win that same year. In the 2011 Dakar Rally, Sainz finished in third place.
Sainz entered the 2013 Dakar driving a newly developed two-wheel-drive buggy sponsored by Qatar and Red Bull but was forced to retire on stage six due to engine issues. Although he announced plans to compete again in 2014, he withdrew once more after crashing on stage ten.
Joining Peugeot Sport in 2014 alongside Cyril Despres for the 2015 Dakar, Sainz piloted the Peugeot 2008 DKR but retired early following a crash. Mechanical problems led to additional withdrawals in both the 2016 and 2017 rallies. However, he captured his second Dakar title with Peugeot in 2018.
After Peugeot's departure from rally raid, Sainz signed with X-Raid to drive a Mini at the 2019 Dakar but finished 13th due to suspension damage. In 2020, he secured his third Dakar championship with co-driver Lucas Cruz, winning four stages and prevailing by a slim overall margin.
Continuing with Mini in 2021, Sainz won three stages and achieved third place overall. Upon joining Audi in 2022, he claimed his fourth Dakar victory at the 2024 event, becoming the oldest competitor to win at age 61.
Volkswagen's World Rally Championship initiative
When Volkswagen Motorsport announced its entry into the WRC for 2013, Sainz was confirmed as a key member of the program. Motorsport director Kris Nissen quickly secured his participation, highlighting Sainz’s role primarily in vehicle testing. In November 2011, Sainz completed initial test runs of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC near Trier, Germany, marking the start of development trials. Later that year, Nissen expressed optimism that Sainz might compete in select rallies with the Polo before retiring.
In early 2012, Sainz took part in the Polo WRC’s first gravel test in Spain alongside Sébastien Ogier, followed by additional testing sessions in Finland. In October, reunited with co-driver Luis Moya, he fulfilled course car duties at the San Marino Rally Legend event driving the Polo R WRC. By December 2012, Sainz denied intentions to race competitively with the Polo R WRC during the 2013 season but remained available for ongoing testing work.
Returning to competition later in 2012, Sainz won a historic rally event in Spain with Moya behind the wheel of a Porsche 911. They repeated this success at the Rally de España Histórico in March 2013, reinforcing their involvement in classic rally competitions.
Sainz XE Team
In November 2020, Carlos Sainz collaborated with QEV Technologies to establish Acciona | Sainz XE Team, entering the inaugural season of the all-electric off-road series Extreme E for 2021 with drivers Sainz and Laia Sanz. The team made its debut at the 2021 Desert X-Prix and earned a podium finish at the Arctic X-Prix, concluding their first season sixth overall in the teams championship. Maintaining their driver lineup into 2022, they achieved two podium finishes and improved their standing to third place.
For the 2023 campaign, although initially confirmed to continue, Sainz was replaced by Mattias Ekström after sustaining a serious injury during the Dakar Rally. The team demonstrated strong form by qualifying fastest and finishing second in Round 1, then securing their maiden victory at Round 2. They added another win at Round 7 but ultimately finished second in the championship standings, narrowly trailing RXR by eleven points.
In 2024, Ekström departed for McLaren XE, with Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell joining alongside Laia Sanz. However, Extreme E postponed both Sardinia and Phoenix rounds originally scheduled later that year.
Racing overview
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Tyres | Car No. | G. | Competitors | Events | Points | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Acciona | Sainz XE Team | Spark Odyssey 21 | Template:Continental | 55 | F | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Laia Sanz | (1–5) | 100 | 6th |
| M | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Carlos Sainz Sr. | (1–5) | |||||||
| 2022 | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Acciona | Sainz XE Team | Spark Odyssey 21 | Template:Continental | 55 | F | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Laia Sanz | (1–5) | 66 | 3rd |
| M | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Carlos Sainz Sr. | (1–5) | |||||||
| 2023 | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Acciona | Sainz XE Team | Spark Odyssey 21 | Template:Continental | 55 | F | Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Laia Sanz | (1–10) | 171 | 2nd |
| M | Template:Country data SWETemplate:Namespace detect showall Mattias Ekström | (1–10) |
Racing summary
| Year | Championship | Events Contested | Victories | Podium Finishes | B/Qual. | S/S. | Total Points | Final Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Extreme E | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 6th |
| 2022 | Extreme E | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 3rd |
| 2023 | Extreme E
10 2 6 4 3 style="background:#dfdfdf;" |171 style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2nd |
Complete Extreme E results
(Races marked in bold denote best qualifying performance; races in italics indicate fastest super sector times)
2021 Extreme E Championship Acciona | Sainz XE Team bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2021 Desert X-PrixTemplate:Country data SAUTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"4" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2021 Ocean X-Prix
Template:Country data SENTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"8" bgcolor="#ffdf9f"| 2021 Arctic X-Prix
Template:Country data GRLTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"3" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2021 Island X-Prix
Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall
"7" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2021 Jurassic X-Prix
Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"7" colspan=5| 100 6th 2022 Extreme E Championship Acciona | Sainz XE Team bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2022 Desert X-Prix
Template:Country data SAUTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"2" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2022 Island X-Prix
Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall
"4" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2022 Island X-Prix
Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall
"4" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2022 Copper X-Prix
Template:Country data CHLTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"2" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2022 Energy X-Prix
Template:Country data URUTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"7" colspan=5| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |66 style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3rd 2023 Extreme E Championship Acciona | Sainz XE Team bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2023 Desert X-Prix
Template:Country data SAUTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"2" bgcolor="#ffffbf"| 2023 Desert X-Prix
Template:Country data SAUTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"1" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2023 Hydro X-Prix
Template:Country data SCOTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"6" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2023 Hydro X-Prix
Template:Country data SCOTemplate:Namespace detect showall
"4" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2023 Island X-Prix
Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall
"2" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2023 Island X-Prix
{{flagicon{ITA}}}
"2" bgcolor="#ffffbf"| 2023 Island X-Prix
{{flagicon{ITA}}}
{{small|"1"} bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2023 Island X-Prix
{{flagicon{ITA}}}
"9" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"| 2023 Copper X-Prix
{{flagicon{CHI}}}
"2" bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 2023 Copper X-Prix
{{flagicon{CHI}}}
{{small|"4"} style="background:#dfdfdf;" |171 style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2nd
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | Position |
|---|
Personal life
His son, Carlos Sainz Jr., is a professional Formula One competitor who has driven for teams such as Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams. Additionally, he has an elder sibling, Antonio Sainz, born on 10 December 1957, who pursued a career in rally driving.
Recognitions
- Awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit on 21 December 1994
- Received the Olympic Order in 1997 from the Spanish Olympic Committee
- Honored with the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit on 30 November 2001
- Bestowed the Gold Medal for Sporting Merit in 2001 by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid
- Granted the Medal of Youth and Sports and Associative Engagement in 2008 by the French Government
- Inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame in March 2012, alongside Michèle Mouton
- Voted as The Greatest WRC Driver ever in May 2020 by fans and expert journalists
- Awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on 16 June 2020
Titles
| Season | Title | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Spanish Rally Champion | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth |
| 1988 | Spanish Rally Champion | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth |
| 1990 | Asia-Pacific Rally Champion | Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 |
| 1990 | World Rally Champion | Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 |
| 1992 | World Rally Champion | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185 |
| 1997 | Champion of Champions | Various |
| 2007 | FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup | Volkswagen Race Touareg |
| 2008 | Central Europe Rally (cars) | Volkswagen Race Touareg |
| 2010 | 2010 Dakar Rally Winner (cars) | Volkswagen Race Touareg |
| 2018 | 2018 Dakar Rally Winner (cars) | Peugeot 3008 DKR Maxi |
| 2020 | 2020 Dakar Rally Winner (cars) | Mini John Cooper Works Buggy |
| 2024 | 2024 Dakar Rally Winner (cars) | Audi RS Q e-tron |
WRC victories
.svg){kind=link}
Dakar Rally stage victories
Full WRC results
| Year | Team | Automobile | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final Position | Championship Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:WRC | Marlboro Rally Team | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth | " MON" | " SWE" | POR Ret" |
" KEN" | " FRA 7</small]" |
" GRC" | " USA" | " NZL" | " ARG" | " FIN" | " CIV" | " ITA" | 35th | 7 | ||||
| RAC de España | " GBR 8</small]" |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
rowspan="2"| Template:WRC |
Carlos Sainz | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth | " MON" | " SWE" | " POR Ret</small]" |
11th | 26 | |||||||||||||
| Ford Motor Co | " KEN" | " FRA 5</small]" |
" GRC" | " USA" | " NZL" | " ARG" | " FIN 6</small]" |
" CIV" | " ITA 5</small]" |
" GBR 7</small]" |
(Note: The table excerpt is provided as a sample; the complete dataset follows the same layout, detailing key competitors, vehicles, event outcomes, rankings, and points to illustrate performance metrics pertinent to business evaluation.)
Dakar Rally outcomes
| Year | Category | Manufacturer | Final standing | Stages won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Car | Germany Volkswagen | 11th place | 4 |
| 2007 | 9th place | 5 | ||
| 2008 | Champion | 5 | ||
| 2009 | Did Not Finish (DNF) | 6 | ||
| 2010 | Winner | 2 | ||
| 2011 | Third place | 7 | ||
| 2012 | no participation | |||
| 2013 | Car | United States Demon Jefferies | DNF | 1 |
| 2014 | Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall SMG | DNF | 2 | |
| 2015 | Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Peugeot | DNF | 0 | |
| 2016 | DNF | 2 | ||
| 2017 | DNF | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Champion | 2 | ||
| 2019 | Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Mini | 13th place | 1 | |
| 2020 | Winner | 4 | ||
| 2021 | Third position | 3 | ||
Extreme E full results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key)
| Year | Team name | Vehicle model | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | "Pos." | Points earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Extreme E Championship#2021 | Acciona | Sainz XE Team | Spark ODYSSEY 21 | [[2021 Desert X-Prix#DES Q]] 2 |
[[2021 Desert X-Prix#DES R]] 4 |
[[2021 Ocean X-Prix#OCE Q]] 9 |
[[2021 Ocean X-Prix#OCE R]] 8 |
[[2021 Arctic X-Prix#ARC Q]] 6 |
[[2021 Arctic X-Prix#ARC R]] 3 |
[[2021 Island X-Prix#ISL Q]] 4 |
[[2021 Island X-Prix#ISL R]] 7 |
[[2021 Jurassic X-Prix#JUR Q]] 3 |
[[2021 Jurassic X-Prix#JUR R]] 5 |
5th overall | "90" |
| 2022 Extreme E Championship#2022 | Acciona | Sainz XE Team | Spark ODYSSEY 21 | 2022 Desert X-Prix#DES 2 |
2022 Island X-Prix#ISL1 4 |
2022 Island X-Prix#ISL2 4 |
2022 Copper X-Prix#COP 2 |
2022 Energy X-Prix#ENE 7 |
3rd overall | "60" | |||||
Full World Rally-Raid Championship Results
(legend)
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Audi Sport Team | Audi RS Q e-tron E2 | T1+ | DAK Retired |
ABU | SON | DES | MOR 12th |
21st | 11 |
| 2024 | Audi Sport Team | Audi RS Q e-tron | T1+ | DAK 1st |
ABU | PRT | DES | MOR | ||
| 2025 | Ford M-Sport | T1+ | DAK Retired |