Contents
Carlos Sainz Sr.
Winning two World Rally Championships and four Dakar car titles.
World titles · Finland breakthrough
- Born
- 12 April 1962
- Birthplace
- Madrid, Spain
More people
Carlos Sainz Sr.
Carlos Sainz Sr. is a Spanish rally driver whose career stretches from short competitive stages to desert endurance racing.
Early life
Several sports
Played football and squash before committing to motorsport.
Early studies
Studied law before pursuing racing full-time.
Career
- 1980
Rally beginnings
Started competing in rallies in Spain.
- 1987–1988
National champion
Won consecutive Spanish rally championships.
- 1989
Toyota move
Joined Toyota's world championship team.
- 2006
Dakar transition
Entered the desert rally after his main WRC career.
Achievements
World titles
Won the WRC drivers' championship with Toyota.
Finland breakthrough
Became the first non-Nordic driver to win the 1000 Lakes Rally.
Four Dakar wins
Won with Volkswagen, Peugeot, Mini and Audi.
Beyond sport
Racing family
His son Carlos Sainz Jr. became a Formula One driver; his brother Antonio also competed in rallies.
National recognition
Received Spain's Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in 2020.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Dakar 2024 official report ↗Photo: Flavien Duhamel / Peugeot Sport. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
