Carlos Sainz reveals why he hides his supercar collection

Carlos Sainz has raced for some of the most legendary teams in Formula 1. His time in McLaren, Ferrari, and now Williams has seen him driving some of the greatest cars on the planet, and his private collection seems to be growing by the season. But, in a recent discussion on Podcast Completo, the driver has admitted that he’s embarrassed when it comes to driving his machinery on public roads.

Admitting that his humble Volkswagen Golf GTI is his go-to daily, he discussed his relationship with fame.

“I don’t consider myself a celebrity. I’m not some kind of Justin Bieber or anything,” he explained. “But yeah, then you see me driving a Ferrari and think, ‘Well, of course – he looks the part.’ But in reality, I bought that car just because I loved it.

“It’s the Ferrari 812 Competizione, and when I saw it, I thought it was the best-looking car I’d ever seen,” he added.

Having spent four seasons with the Ferrari F1 team, his affinity for the brand is strong. Following his exit from the team after the 2024 season, he welcomed a Daytona SP3 into his collection. He was spotted driving the car in Monaco as he met fellow driver and rival Lando Norris for dinner. The McLaren driver arrived in his Porsche 911 GT3 RS, completing quite the duo for car spotters.

“But today, I came here in my Golf,” Sainz admitted. “The same Golf GTI my parents gave me when I was 18. Because I don’t want to be seen driving a Ferrari around Madrid. I don’t even use the Ferrari – it just sits there. I come in the Golf for that reason. I don’t like being seen. I hate calling attention to myself.”

He revealed that he has another pair being added to his collection in the near future.

“I’ve got two amazing cars arriving soon, but honestly, I probably won’t use them. I feel embarrassed taking them out,” he continued. “People will say, ‘Look at him, all full of himself in his Ferrari.’ So I’ll just take them out secretly, and that’s that.”

Despite his distaste for driving these cars on the road, the Spaniard has built an incredible collection from the 812 to the tailor made Ferrari SP3 boasting his “Smooth Operator” branding, while his Ferrari Purosangue SUV is a more driveable option for the racer.