Who is Ferrari star Carlos Sainz’s father winning his 4th Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia

In addition to Carlos Sainz’s impressive skills as a driver on the grid, its worth noting that his father was also a remarkable rally driver who made his debut in a SEAT Panda four decades ago. Over the years, Carlos has continued the legacy, often drawing comparisons to his father while on the track.

Despite being 61 years old, his passion remains undiminished. Recently, he clinched victory at the Dakar Rally, marking his fourth triumph in the prestigious event.

Who is Ferrari star Carlos Sainz’s father?

Defying his age restrictions Sainz Sr. has unedniably won the Dakar Eally for the fourth time as the oldest driver to do so, breaking his previous record. At the end of the two-week marathon event, which finally concluded on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, Carlos Sainz paid a visit to his father to embrace their happy moment together.

On the other side, Ricy Brabec, an American Honda rider, secured his second victory in the motorcycling category, while Cristina Gutierezz gained victory in the lightweight Challenger Class. This win makes Gutierezz the second female to claim a title in this category, after Germany’s Jutta Kleinschmidt in 2001. 

Sainz Sr. crossed the finish line 20 minutes and 20 seconds over Belgian debutant Guillaume de Mevius, who drove for Overdrive Toyota, which proved to be a remarkable lead for one hour. In third place was France’s Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time world rally champion. Audi, whose main focus was on its powerful entry in 2026, is the first car to win, which is powered by an electric drive train.

Sainz, who maiintained a lead after stage six proceeded to say “This car is so special, it’s so difficult to manage, it has been so difficult to make it work … I’m so happy for Audi,”

“To be here at my age and to stay at this level, you need to work a lot before. It’s not coming just like that. It shows that when you work hard, normally it pays off.”

Carlos Sainz celebrates his father’s 4th Dakar rally win in Saudi Arabia

Carlos Sainz Jr. travelled all the way to Saudi Arabia to celebrate this immense victory for his father. The Spaniard believes that his father is still capable of outsmarting his rivals, despite his age, at an incredible pace.

After arriving at the bivouac at Yanbu for celebration, he stated “I asked him not to race [hard] every day because at the end of the day, the Dakar is an endurance race and he likes to race a lot,” said the two-time Grand Prix winner.

“He had to race a lot to win, but he was smarter than anyone else and managed the race as only he knows how.”

Do you think Carlos Sr. would be able to keep his victories consistent? Let us know in the comment section below.