“I’m here to visit my good friend Courtois!”: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois go up against each other in a virtual F1 duel

"I'm here to visit my good friend Courtois!": Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois go up against each other in a virtual F1 duel

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz took part in a virtual F1 battle against Real Madrid’s star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois earlier this week. 

Sainz is a huge fan of Real Madrid. It’s a tradition that runs in his family as even his father Carlos Sainz Sr. has been a fan of Los Blancos throughout his life. In fact, Sainz Sr. was named as the club’s honorary member, back in 2021.

In a video posted by the 13 time European Champions, Sainz Jr. appeared to visit Valdebebas, their training complex. There, he met up with Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and meeting up with the Ferrari’s F1 star, was a big moment for both parties. Sainz then took part in a duel against the Belgian, on the F1 2021 game.

The two athletes were to compete in a one-lap time trial shootout around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on the game. Sainz went up first and clocked a time of 1.29.395. Courtois is an avid F1 gamer himself. He repeatedly takes part in F1 e-sports events and has competed alongside the likes of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.

Courtois’ time around the Corniche circuit came out to be 1.30.978. He was over a second behind the Spaniard but considering the fact that he went up against an F1 driver, it wasn’t too bad!

Also read: Former McLaren driver claims has no intention of returning to the sport’s midfield

Carlos Sainz and Thibaut Courtois then went up against each other in a game of FIFA

Soon, they traded their virtual racing suits for some football shoes. After losing to Sainz on F1 2021, Courtois looked forward to defeating the Madrid born driver in a game of FIFA.

Sainz wanted to spice things up a bit, so he asked Courtois to play him with no rules. “In a regular game you’re gonna beat me,” he said. “Let’s play no rules!”

The Ferrari driver conceded a goal early on, but equalized right after the half time break. That seemed to wake the Belgian keeper up, as he pushed hard, ultimately earning a 2-1 victory.

They even shared some light moments throughout the game with Sainz repeatedly highlighting his frustration over how good Courtois was in the game. “What a pain in the a** this Courtois is!” Sainz exclaimed midway into the game. “What have they done to you on FIFA man?”

It was certainly a video that captured some light hearted moments between two of the most famous sportsmen in the world.

Also read: George Russell explains how denying a move to DTM saved his F1 career

 

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
carlos sainz Carlos Sainz Sr. ferrari FIFA Real Madrid thibaut courtois

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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