At the age of 11, as Carlos Sainz Jr. was trying to forge his way in karting, it became apparent that he was too nice.
“I used to be very shy, and I used to be friends with a lot of people, all the racing drivers,” Sainz said in an interview.
“When I would then arrive at a go-kart track, I would get pushed around, bumped out of a race by people I thought would never do that to me because we got on well out of the car.”
“My dad told me, ‘Look, it’s not only in life but also in any sport that you do, you either bite or you get bitten. You need to be the one pushing, to be the hard one because if you’re not, you’re going to be the prey,’” Sainz said. “That advice changed my approach and my career.”
It is the way Sainz now attacks Grands Prix. “Once I put the helmet on, I try to be the animal hunting, not the hunted animal,” he said.
His father has been an important pillar in his life, although his early years were not easy even if his passion for racing was fueled by the exploits of the man he looked up to.
“My dad was a two-time champion in the golden era of rally when everyone was following rally like crazy,” Sainz said. “In Europe, it was huge.
“But it meant I didn’t see him a lot because he was very busy. There were years when he was away from home for between 250 to 300 days a year.” He said he grew up and went to school without seeing him much.
Sainz, who began racing in Formula 1 in 2015 when he was 20, said he always felt destined to follow his father.
“My bet is there must be something genetic in it,” he said. “There is a video of me when I was 2½ years old in a battery car, and I was doing 360s and Scandinavian flicks where you do a perfect sideways corner.
“No way my father taught me that, but when I look back on those videos I feel there was something inside my body that knew how to drive, even at 2½ years old. I was born to drive, you can see it in the video.”
Now in his eighth season in Formula 1, Sainz is with his fourth team in Ferrari after driving for Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren.
It was during his two years with McLaren that he developed a strong bond with the driver Lando Norris, which has withstood their becoming rivals after Sainz left for Ferrari in 2021.
Norris joined McLaren as a rookie in 2019 and was paired with Sainz, who already had four years of experience.
“It was nice coming into Formula 1 with a teammate that was helpful,” Norris said. “He helped me learn many things and get in the rhythm of Formula 1. That’s something that stays with you for a long time.”
There is always a threat that the relationship could change, particularly if they should fight for wins and championships.
“When we’re on track, we want to beat each other and to prove who wants to be a better driver,” Norris said. “But things like that just make it enjoyable.”
Charles Leclerc, who drives for Ferrari with Sainz, said they “get along super well.” They often play chess together.
After finishing ahead of Leclerc in the drivers’ standings last season, Sainz is 26 points behind his teammate this year after a difficult start adapting to the car. Sainz has since claimed his first pole position and victory in Formula 1, winning the British Grand Prix in July.
Fernando Alonso, a hero to Sainz who also comes from Spain, said he still had time to become a champion.
“He made a lot of progress during his McLaren days and now with Ferrari, and you think ‘Why not?'” said Alonso, who drives for Alpine. “You need to have the right package, the best car that year, a little bit of luck as well. He’s proving he can be as almost as anyone.”
If Sainz had not been a driver, he would have tried to become a professional golfer. His handicap is 10, and he and Norris often play together.
Sainz said, though, that it was likely that he would not have made it because “I believe that you are born to do something, and I was born to do racing. God would not have given me two talents.”
However, he’d still like to meet Tiger Woods.
“For me, I always look up to people who create a point in the history of their sport that changes that sport forever, and Tiger is the one for me, of any other athlete in the world, that changed his sport the most,” said.
“Even with all the issues he has been through, 99 percent of people still want Tiger to win. Tell me an athlete who can do this? no one.”
And if Sainz were to meet Woods? “He’s the only guy I think I would get nervous meeting because of the charisma and the aura he has around him.”
