Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz made quite the entrance recently in Monaco as he arrived at a local restaurant alongside McLaren rival Lando Norris. The driver, now team-mates with Alex Albon in the Grove outfit, drove his stunning custom Ferrari Daytona SP3 to his dinner date.
The Daytona SP3 is widely known to be one of the most prestigious Ferraris released since the legendary F40. Making up part of the Italian marque’s ‘Icona Series’ – following the Monza SP1 and SP2 – the Daytona SP3 celebrates both Ferrari’s strong racing history, as well as technological ambitions.
Sainz’s model, boasting matte grey bodywork and contrasting red striping, features custom “Smooth Operator” branding throughout, along with his racing number 55 incorporated into the side sills. With only 599 units ever built, these personal touches make this a truly one-off machine for the racing driver.
Behind the seats sits a formidable engine that lives up to the car’s aggressive styling. Creating 829 hp and 514 lb-ft of torque, the 6.5-litre V12 engine is capable of revving to a spine tingling 9,500 rpm. It hits 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, and the Italian hypercar tops out at an impressive 211 mph – 23 mph shy of the highest speed ever recorded by an F1 car.
The Spaniard took delivery of the car in December of 2024 in a celebration of his last race with the legendary Scuderia. The handover took place at Ferrari’s Monaco dealership, where Sainz was visibly emotional as he welcomed the remarkable machine into his collection, and has been seen driving it multiple times around the principality.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images
With Lewis Hamilton replacing him at Ferrari, Sainz now enjoys a two-year contract deal with Williams for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, with options to extend beyond this. Team principal James Vowles called this a “strong statement of intent”.
Sainz said at the time:
“I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards. It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision.
“It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision.
“However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.”
The Spanish driver’s move to Williams has shown promising results, with him sat 11th in the drivers’ standings with 11 points. In comparison, Albon sits eighth with an impressive 40 points.
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