THIS IS CARLOS SAINZ
The 2005 Spanish Grand Prix is remembered chiefly for a crushing Kimi Räikkönen and McLaren victory over home hero Fernando Alonso. Supporting Alonso in the Renault pit that weekend was World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr – a huge F1 fan in his own right – alongside his 10-year-old son.
The connections between modern Spanish motorsport’s most famous names are well known, but there was another, less well-known trip the Sainzes made that weekend which ultimately proved far more significant.
Being taken to the Ferrari garage by his father left a lasting impression on the younger Sainz, who was beginning to forge his own racing career in karting, and it became his dream to one day race in the scarlet red of the Scuderia in Formula 1.
Sixteen years later, those boyhood dreams have become reality and Sainz is now racing for the most famous grand prix team of them all…
GP Racing: You’ve made this massive, racing drivers’ dream move to Ferrari – it’s a huge thing. I’d like to start with the emotional aspect of going to Ferrari, because for every racing driver, at any level, Ferrari is a huge name. And obviously for you personally, growing up as a young Formula 1 fan, a big Fernando Alonso fan, and the big connection there between him and Ferrari. So, what did Ferrari mean to you growing up, and now you’ve become part of the Ferrari story yourself how has that move changed your life?
It goes back a long time you know. First of all, when we are all kids, when we are all in go-karting, growing up in junior formulas, we all see Ferrari as a place we want to be at some point in our careers. And for me that goes back to the fact that I went to Barcelona, to the Spanish GP when I was 10 years old, in 2005. I had the chance to meet Fernando Alonso there. I also had the chance to
