Carlos Sainz’s Dakar Win leads Father-Son Duo to Honorary Motor Prize

María José García-Pelayo, the Mayor of Jerez recently called Jerez the Cathedral of Motorcycling, but what does that have to do with F1? While the statement focused on Motorcycles, she hosted an award function to celebrate all the high achievers at the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit. And that’s where the father-son duo of Carlos Sainz and Carlos Sainz Sr. comes in.

Over the years, the father-son duo have represented the country in the world of racing and after their many contributions, they were recognized by the Mayor. After the recent win by Carlos Sainz Sr. at the Dakar Rally 2024, both the father and son were felicitated for their achievements in motorsports.

Carlos Sainz brings home the Honorary Motor Prize

Carlos Sainz’s recent triumph in the Dakar Rally is the central achievement leading to the recognition from the City of Jerez. The honorary motor prize was bestowed upon both Carlos Sainz Sr. and Carlos Sainz Jr., to celebrate their contribution to the world of motor racing while representing Spain at the 2024 ‘Ciudad de Jerez’ Awards. The news was announced in a statement from the Mayor herself.

The award presented to the Sainzs is given to those people who have stood out in the local, national, and international dissemination and projection of the different activities related to the world of motorsport. The father-son duo has always achieved success while contributing emotional values and respect to their rivals which led the jury to present them the award.

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The commitment of the local government and the Junta of Andalusia to enhance the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit is highlighted in the statement. The awards align with the city’s dedication to maintaining the competitiveness and popularity of the Jerez circuit. Former driver and sports director Sito Pons and the Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia were other motorsport personalities who received recognition at the awards.

Even though Carlos Sainz Jr won the Honorary Motor Prize, his position in the team is yet to be confirmed beyond 2024. The Maranello-based outfit recently extended Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc’s contract. However, the Spaniard’s future is still up in the air.

Carlos Sainz Jr’s future hanging in the balance

For the upcoming 2024 season, Carlos Sainz Jr is signed with Ferrari, but beyond this season, there has been no news of a contract renewal. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc just signed a multi-year deal with the brand that extends beyond 2026.

The team at Ferrari has been vocal about paying more attention to Leclerc after keeping him on the sidelines so far. With that said, what Sainz plans on doing after this season is uncertain. There are changes that Ferrari renews his contract beyond the season, but there are also many rumors about Audi keeping an eye for the window where the contract is over. If the rumors are true, then the possible replacement for the Prancing Horse might be Alex Albon.

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That being said, what is your take on Carlos Sainz Jr’s future in F1? Let us know in the comments below.