How different is Carlos Sainz’s driving style from his 2-time World Champion father?

Carlos Sainz is one of the most recognizable talents in F1 today, and his popularity has skyrocketed since he joined Ferrari in 2021. However, the Sainz name in motorsport was already famous, long before he made his F1 debut.

Sainz’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr. is one of the greatest rally drivers of all time and is considered to be one of the biggest Spanish racing legends alongside the likes of Fernando Alonso. Therefore it is only understandable that his son Sainz Jr. would grow up loving the world of racing. However, the latter never tried his trade in rallying and instead made it to F1, which is considered to be the pinnacle of motorsports.

In terms of achievements, Sainz has not matched his father yet, but many people feel that he possesses the talent to do so. Driving for a top team like Ferrari, which can regularly compete at the front should help his chances of winning a world championship, but so far, he hasn’t lived up to those lofty expectations.

Also read: Dax Shepard Discusses What Makes Carlos Sainz a Great F1 Driver

How is Carlos Sainz different from his father?

In the first episode of the Eff One podcast, Hollywood starlet Dax Shepard has a discussion about the opening race of the 2023 season along with experts like Jethro Bovingdon, Charlie Curtis, and Matthew Collins. There, they also talk about what makes Sainz a great fit for Ferrari, who are working hard to compete for the world championship.

While talking about Sainz’s behavior while driving a car, Collins recalls how he is very casual but also incredibly busy at the same time. This showed that he could drive a car very casually but also get the most out of it, because a part of his mind remained very focused on getting the best out of the machine.

He then compared Sainz’s demeanor to that of his father, whom he described as ‘The Spanish Bull’. Collins feels that he was a beast in the car, and that it looked like the Spanish legend was fighting a bear while driving. His habit of getting the best out of the car in his own way, made him the legend that he is today.

Also read: “Wouldn’t Have Been Allowed to Wear a Mullet”: Valtteri Bottas on How Mercedes Never Allowed Him to Be Himself

Sainz hoping to move past Ferrari’s sloppy start to 2023

Sainz was optimistic about his consistency heading into the 2023 season, but his slow start to the year could not have done much good to his confidence. The Madrid-born driver could have earned a podium finish, but the SF-23 was slower than both the Red Bulls and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

In the end, Sainz finished fourth in the race and will be hoping for a much better performance from himself and Ferrari when they take to the track in a week’s time at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.