Ferrari racer Carlos Sainz commends his 61-year-old father for the ‘smartest Dakar ever’

Carlos Sainz Sr won the multi-stage Dakar Rally, breaking his own record for the oldest winner of the rally.

Ferrari racer Carlos Sainz commends his 61-year-old father for the ‘smartest Dakar ever’

Carlos Sainz Jr. and Carlos Sainz Sr. (Via IMAGO)

Carlos Sainz Jr is an extremely accomplished driver competing at the pinnacle of motorsport, having won two races across his career. However, Sainz is one of the very few Formula 1 race victors whose father’s career eclipses theirs.

Carlos Sainz Sr is considered to be among the greatest rally drivers, having won the World Rally Championship two times, in 1990 and in 1992. The Spaniard’s son congratulated his 61-year-old father on winning one of the most challenging rally events conducted every year, the Dakar Rally.

He had to race a lot to win, but he was smarter than anyone else and managed the race as only he knows how. The Dakar was perfect, he did the smartest Dakar I've ever seen him do in my life. He managed it perfectly and showed that he also has experience.
Carlos Sainz Jr said, via Autosport.com.

The Dakar rally is a multi-stage event held in Saudi Arabia annually, with numerous classes for different vehicles and teams competing in the rally with multiple driver, not unknown for bizarre instances due to the unpredictable terrain. The venue of the rally has been changed multiple times, with the current format set in place in 2020.

Carlos Sainz Sr. congratulated by future F1 team on Dakar rally win

Carlos Sainz Sr made history at the Dakar Rally of 2024, breaking his own record for the oldest winner of the coveted rally. Sainz Sr also won the rally by a gap of more than an hour and twenty minutes to his closest competitor, a significant achievement as well.

Carlos Sainz Sr.
Carlos Sainz Sr. (Via X)

Sainz Sr competed at the rally with the Audi team, which will be entering the Formula 1 grid in 2026. Audi partner Q motorsport’s manager Sven Quandt commended the Spanish rally legend on his historic victory despite his advanced age, claiming Sainz would win the rally more times in the future.

This guy is incredible at his age and that if he feels like it he can still achieve many more victories on the Dakar. We've known each other for a long time and mutual trust is another key to this success.
Sven Quandt said, as reported by Motorsport.com.

Sainz won the significant Dakar title for the fourth time in 2024, with the Audi team. With contract negotiations between Ferrari and Sainz Jr, the rally driver’s son may aspire to join the Audi project when it arrives on the F1 grid in 2026.

In case you missed it: