Carlos Sainz has produced some iconic moments since he joined the grid in 2015 so as he enters the next chapter in his career at Williams, F1 Oversteer has looked into the best events including his first win and pole position.
After joining the grid with Toro Rosso in 2015, Sainz went up against Max Verstappen in his first year. It was the first time the pair had met on track having missed out on the opportunity in junior formulas, with Sainz being one of only two teammates to ever beat the Dutchman throughout a season.
Following another season at Toro Rosso in 2016, Sainz moved to Renault midway through the 2017 season where he beat both Jolyon Palmer and Nico Hulkenberg. A switch to McLaren in 2019 saw Sainz pair with Lando Norris for two seasons, before he went to Ferrari in 2021.
He beat Charles Leclerc in their first season but the Monogasque finished ahead the next three years. Despite renewing Sainz’s contract at the start of 2023, Ferrari decided to sever ties at the end of 2024 in favour of Lewis Hamilton.
Heading into 2025, Sainz will embark on a new challenge with Williams as he attempts to help them recapture their glory years and get back to challenging for wins.
Where did Carlos Sainz make his Formula 1 debut?
Sainz made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, where he managed to qualify in P8 having made it through to Q3 on debut.
He would go on to finish in P9 in the race and a lap down from eventual winner Nico Rosberg, taking home two points and beating both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.
Where did Carlos Sainz take his first podium finish in Formula 1?
Sainz’s first podium in Formula 1 came at the 2019 Brazilian GP for McLaren, having come from the back of the grid in 20th place.
McLaren had made us of a late Safety Car to put Sainz in prime position to take a top-three finish, with the Spaniard in fifth position. Sainz would go on to finish fourth on the road, but post-race Hamilton was given a five-second time penalty for a collision with Alex Albon which promoted Sainz to third.
Although the Spaniard did not get to stand on the podium during the official ceremony, the team was granted access once the Hamilton ruling had been confirmed by the stewards and staged their own impromptu celebrations.
Carlos Sainz took his first pole position in Formula 1 at the 2022 British Grand Prix
Sainz would have to wait 150 races before he earned his first pole in F1 at Silverstone during the 2022 British GP weekend. The qualifying session took place in rainy conditions, with several drivers struggling to keep it on track including Verstappen and Leclerc.
After Verstappen’s final attempt in Q3 was interrupted by Leclerc spinning, it effectively confirmed Sainz’s pole after he set the quickest time in the initial runs.
Carlos Sainz won his first Formula 1 race at the 2022 British Grand Prix
Sainz managed to convert his pole into a race win, although it was not a straightforward lights-to-flag affair. The race was interrupted in the first few meters when the Sauber of Zhou Guanyu was tipped into a roll heading into Turn 1 by George Russell.
After a lengthy red flag, the race resumed with Sainz leading at the restart. After being passed by Verstappen once DRS was enabled, the Dutchman would later run of debris which damaged his floor and caused him to drop back.
That enabled Sainz to inherit the lead but would emerge behind teammate Leclerc after a Safety Car period due to Esteban Ocon stopping on track. Despite being told to back up the pack to help Leclerc, the Spaniard overtook at the restart on fresher tyres and went on to win the race.
Sainz was the 112th winner in the history of F1 and only the second Spaniard to win an F1 race after Fernando Alonso, while also being the first Spaniard to win a race since the 2013 Spanish GP.
Carlos Sainz has produced some iconic races in Formula 1
Over the years, Sainz has developed a reputation for being a comeback king. This was on display at the 2024 Australian GP when he came back just weeks after having surgery for appendicitis.
After beating Leclerc in qualifying and starting from second on the grid, he went on to lead the race after a brake failure forced Verstappen to retire from the lead three laps into the race.
Another impressive drive from Sainz came at his final race for Ferrari in 2024 in Mexico, where he blitzed the field in qualifying by two-tenths.
He would go on to take a lights-to-flag victory, winning the race by 4.7 seconds ahead of Norris who finished second and Leclerc who was third.
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