Interview with Esquire Italia magazine.
matteo albanese
March 2, 2024.
It's not angry because of the color red, that's not true. In fact, cows just don't perceive the color red, which is a form of color blindness, and their angry reaction depends more on the provocative behavior of the matador. In Spanish, the word "corrida" is used to refer to both bullfighting and motorsports, such as car racing. For the Madridian Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro, or more precisely, Sainz Jr., he never faced competition: his father was the elder Sainz, nicknamed "El Mattador", a legendary rally driver. Although he was also active on the football field as a teenager, he entered the youth team of Real Madrid and later chose motorsports. At Silverstone in the summer of 2022, he won his first Grand Prix, becoming the fourth driver in Spanish history to finish on the podium (after Alfonso de Portago, Fernando Alonso and Pedro de La Rosa). "Maybe, if it weren't for Alonso, I wouldn't be here in Formula 1," Sainz said in an interview with Esquire Italia, "but my real role model is my father." As a world champion, he is one of the best drivers in history and he gave me invaluable advice. "Having the surname Sainz is not always simple.
When I was three years old, my father's friend bought me and his son two go-karts. We had a great time. I've always loved driving and I know I can drive fast. The basic principle is all the same: there is a steering wheel, two pedals, and you have to turn. But the similarities stop there: in F1, everything is different.
When I was very young, there was no rally on TV. My dad retired and we started watching F1, my idol Alonso won the World Championship, and Schumacher and Raikkonen. Sometimes I wake up at four in the morning and wake up my dad to play together. I decided I wanted to be a race car driver. I don't know how difficult it is, but as a child, dreams are allowed.
Having tried, we have a rally car at home. It's one thing in my spare time, but I don't know if I'm going to be a pro. It's a completely different profession. I feel like I'm going to be happy if I'm driving fast, but I'm too busy in F1. I'd rather win the World Championship here.
Nothing. I've been like this since I was a kid and I'm used to it. It's like what happens when you go to work every day. Hardly ever considered. I have to stay focused. When I put on the helmet, I knew I was physically and mentally ready.
In F1, I never felt scared. If you're scared, you can't drive fast, and we drive very fast. I sometimes feel scared on rainy days, even more. I know I'm taking a big risk, but I'm not afraid. On some tracks, like Monaco, there will be more adrenaline. I love Suzuka, Silverstone, Spa-Francoulge, these "old school" tracks with fast corners and straights where I can overtake.
That victory was wonderful because almost no one expected it. Overall, it was a tough season. It was very difficult to beat Red Bull, but there we had our chance and we took advantage of it with maturity. We have the potential to fight for the title this year, but we have to be perfect.
He knows Red Bull Racing very well: he raced for Toro Rosso (2015 to 2017) and then for Renault and McLaren.
However, since I arrived at Ferrari, I have always felt at home, supported and appreciated by the fans and the staff here. After three years here, this is pretty much my home.
In today's F1, the decisive factor is the car. Let me explain: the riders can still play a role, but we're all on the same level. I would like to achieve a split between drivers and cars in the future, but it hasn't been achieved yet.
I started nine years ago and it was just incredible for me, it felt like something that happened yesterday. The biggest change was the launch of the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019). Thanks to it, the sport has grown tremendously and today it has become a global phenomenon with more fans, including young people.
For me, it's professionalism. Of course, talent is a must – you can't excel without talent – but at this level, we all have talent. It's more important to be able to adapt: to adapt to all kinds of situations, to adapt to different cars, to adapt to races.
I hope so. I'm sure every F1 driver as a kid has dreamed of becoming an F1 driver or even a Ferrari driver sooner or later. I was lucky enough to be able to make that dream come true and win two races in a Ferrari (Silverstone in 2022 and Singapore in 2023). Now, I want to be a world champion. I work hard every day to achieve this goal. This is the best team and the enthusiasm of the fans is unmatched. Every time I drive on the track, or go to the factory, I feel like a very special person.
When I was ten or eleven years old, my father took me to Barcelona (Spanish Grand Prix). I met my idol, and when I got home, I told my father that I wanted to be one of them. If he had told me I would have succeeded, I wouldn't have believed it. Sometimes I think: I started our F1 career with Alonso. What a life-changing thing it was.
I'm not a person who listens to ** a lot, except during training or sometimes on an airplane, to relax and get rid of the stress of F1, but I listen to business**.
I like to eat good things. When I'm in a new city, I'm always looking for the best restaurants. In Italy, especially in the Emilia-Romagna region, the food is very tasty. Keeping your weight off is hard.
I am a very sports person. I've probably tried any sport you can think of: golf, cricket, football, tennis, skiing and water sports. I support Real Madrid. Normally, the weekend of the Champions League final and the Monaco Grand Prix coincides and I see Alonso on TV many times. Real Madrid will also win the title this year, you will see.
Much more than one might think. When I was a little kid, at karting, other fathers would criticize me, ask me about my time, and hope their kids would beat me. Maybe they think I have more opportunities, that I'm naturally talented, or that I'm favored as the son of Carlos Sainz. It put a lot of pressure on me and I wasn't ready for that kind of pressure.