Carlos Sainz Returns Favor to His “Perfect Father” as Senior Gears Up to Take On Dakar for a Blind Challenge

Whether it’s his ex-girlfriend Isa Hernaez or his new partner Rebecca Donaldson, Carlos Sainz is no stranger to having a close aide by his side while traveling across the globe. However, there’s been no person of greater significance to the Smooth Operator’s career than his father. While Carlos Sainz Sr. might be one of the most iconic Rally drivers of all time, first and foremost, he is a loving father. And as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, or in this case, the ‘Chilli’?

Touted by many including former Ferrari boss Peter Windsor, to be the ‘perfect father’ that Sainz Jr could have asked for, the two-time World Rally Champ will be delighted to know his efforts will always be repaid. Taking to Instagram, the #55 Ferrari driver extended his heartfelt support to Sainz Sr as he embarks on another thrilling journey toward an elusive fourth Dakar Rally victory at the competitive age of 61.

Carlos Sainz wishes his father the best of luck on his 2024 journey toward a fourth Dakar Title

While Carlos Sainz Sr is no stranger to the Dakar Rally in Sadi Arabia after participating in the previous four events, the 2024 challenge will be fairly ‘invisible’ as the drivers head onto the stage without ever seeing the track before. As his father chases down that fourth Dakar Rally title, Carlos Sainz shared a picture with Sainz Sr and his belongings before he headed off to the Middle East. The Spaniard added, “@carlossainzoficial is leaving tomorrow to the Dakar as prepared and determined as ever. At the young age of 61, he is going to try bring home the 4th Dakar win & good luck, push hard and stay safe!”

Since the Dakar Rally moved away from Africa and South America to Saudi Arabia, the rally has been particularly pleasing for Carlos Sainz Sr. The 61-year-old rallying legend attributed the stage’s attractiveness to the addition of a good combination of terrains such as the sandy dunes and loose gravel patches but also retaining classic North African rally stage characteristics. While Sainz Sr might be going onto the stage without ever seeing the circuit, his experience ultimately transcends the doubts raised by the community.

The Audi driver also stated the Dakar Rally is a challenge unlike any other owing to the physical exertion the driver goes through the two-week-long treacherous stage. Speaking about the prospect of unlimited unknowns, Sainz was quoted by Express UK, “The Dakar is unique — it’s very different to any other event. Firstly, the duration takes two weeks and that makes it really tough. The challenge of driving for four to five hours a day — blind, because you have never been through the road before — at the speed we are going, makes the challenge really high.”

Unlike open-wheel racing, rally stages are ever-evolving and have a life-like characteristic of their own. Even a well-known stage can change its face in minutes based on landslides and other natural phenomena. But when you add the prospect of going into such a storm blind, only the bravest come out the other end unscathed, let alone victorious.

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But that’s not all the obstacles that lie in the path between Carlos Sainz Sr and a fourth Dakar Rally title. Sainz Sr also shed light on how physically demanding a rally course of such caliber can be compared to the WRC stages, sharing his tips to get through the labor-filled fortnight.

Sainz Sr reveals how the Dakar Rally differs from the World Rally Championship

During the interview with Saudi Motorsport Company, the host took Sainz Sr across his first Dakar Rally title in 2010 and 2018 in South America before his third title in Saudia Arabia two years ago. Shedding light on his Dakar experience, the host asked Sainz Sr. how different the Dakar Rally was from the World Rally Championship. The answer? Extremely different and especially exhausting.

Sainz Sr. was quoted by Motorsport Week, “Just to give you an idea, your heart rate is 140-165bpm for up to four hours at a time. So physically, it’s very demanding. That’s why I prefer to suffer at my home in the gym on a daily basis so that I suffer a little bit less when I’m on the event.” The 61-year-old felt it was down to his intense workout regimen that he could still challenge for Dakar Rally titles and not just his skillset behind the wheel.

He also stated that endurance was a key factor in battling sleep deprivation and difficult environments so that the driver’s performance doesn’t begin to drop off as the weeks progress. Sainz Sr added, “When you consider who can realistically win the Dakar, it’s probably only three or four drivers that can achieve the outright victory. Other drivers will win individual stages, but it’s another thing to be able to fight across two weeks. That’s what makes the Dakar a special competition.”

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It’s safe to say there’s no man more well-equipped than Carlos Sainz Sr when it comes to the 2024 prospective Dakar Rally champions. Will Carlos Sainz’s support of his father pay off?