Despite War Against Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Sr. ‘Credited’ for Son’s Conduct at Charles Leclerc’s Backyard

Being a Formula 1 driver’s parent is stressful enough. Oscar Piastri’s mother Nicole’s tweets are proof enough. But when a driver’s parent is a racer themselves, the lines between stress and interference get blurred sometimes. That’s precisely what’s happening at Ferrari right now. There’s this triangle between Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz Sr. At the center of the triangle lies Carlos Sainz Jr. and his status at Ferrari. While Carlos Jr. isn’t too affected by what’s going on, Carlos Sr. has taken it personally. And he waged a war on the Scuderia.

Despite everything that’s going on, F1 journalist Peter Windsor remains a huge fan of the World Rally Champion, Sainz Sr. Every once in a while, Windsor sees glimpses of Papa Sainz in his son, and he can’t help but talk about the influence he’s had on Carlos Jr. Windsor revealed yet another incident with Carlos Jr. that reminded him of Carlos Sr.

Carlos Sainz left an impression in Monaco

Before getting into Sainz’s conduct that impressed Windsor, here’s what happened in the Sainz Ferrari fiasco. Sainz and Leclerc are great drivers who push each other to their limits. They tested them in Monza while fighting for P3—Sainz ahead of Leclerc. Seeing how Ferrari didn’t give any team orders like it usually does, Sainz Sr. wasn’t happy. He said, “It’s always my son who asks if he can attack. Carlos is always the one who has to understand why he can’t overtake if he’s behind. But when Leclerc is behind, the positions are not fixed.” 

Setting this aside, Windsor talked about Carlos Jr.’s recent appearance at the Ryder Cup. he mentioned how Carlos is like a perfect ambassador for F1 at events like this, with how nice he is. That’s how he segued into the story in Leclerc’s hometown, Monaco. Windsor said, “I remember an occasion in Monaco when [Sainz] was at Toro Rosso. In his second year, I think. There was a big event that I was compering on a yacht for the Grand Prix. Prince Albert was there, and there was no sponsorship link anywhere. It was just to welcome the teams and drivers to Monaco in the presence of His Royal Highness.”

“It was about 6 o’clock on the Thursday night. Most of the drivers should’ve been able to come. Only one driver turned up. And this was a specific invitation from the Prince. Carlos Sainz. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s impressive. That’s probably A) His dad, and B) Carlos himself is a good guy,” concluded Windsor.

Read More: Despite His War Against Ferrari, “Perfect Father” Carlos Sainz Sr. Hailed By Ex-Ferrari Boss

It’s no secret that Sainz Sr. has had a big influence on Sainz Jr. Whether it be his off-track conduct or his love for golf, Carlos Sr. has been a major part of Carlos Jr.’s life. Needless to say, the Rally Champion has influenced his son’s driving, too, and Windsor couldn’t help but gush over that as well.

Sainz Jr. is a refined driver because of Sainz Sr.

Carlos Sainz’s driving style is clean, refined, and, at the same time, it’s also aggressive. The best part about his style is that he’s respectful even when he has to be aggressive. Oh, and his racing IQ is top-notch. The last few laps of the Singapore GP—where Sainz helped Lando Norris to help himself get the win—are confirmation enough. All in all, he’s a complete driver who’s equal parts mature and aggressive, rising to the challenge whenever he has to.

Discussing Sainz’s qualities, Windsor couldn’t help but equate them to his father’s racing ability. He said, “Senior is the ultimate competitor. He’s super aggressive, but at the same time, he’s got this maturity and this ability to think of the last lap on the first lap. It’s not for nothing that they’re still a very closely knit family in Madrid, and I think that says a lot, too.” Sainz Sr. knows when to stand by his son (the Ferrari fiasco might not be the best example) and when to give him space to shine. That’s what makes their duo a great one.

Do you see glimpses of Papa Sainz in Carlos Sainz Jr.?

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