18 years ago. The 2005 Spanish GP. That was the first time a 10-year-old Carlos Sainz met a hero he looked up to like no other – Fernando Alonso. “When I came back from that trip in 2005, I told my dad, ‘I want to be like Fernando Alonso!‘” That moment was the beginning of an uphill climb for Sainz, one that ended with him competing in the pinnacle of motorsport. One that ended with him achieving that dream. What’s even better? That dream is at its peak right now, and his idol is racing right alongside him. But what’s not so good? The relationship between the mentor and the mentee.

Fernando Alonso is very much in the final leg of his Formula 1 career. Sainz, on the other hand, is sort of just hitting his stride. This generational difference hasn’t stopped them from competing for Spanish supremacy—on or off track. But something behind the scenes seems to have caused a rift between them.

What is the Carlos Sainz & Fernando Alonso fight all about?

As drivers in a limited grid of 20, Sainz and Alonso were bound to have on-track battles. This year, they collided at the Australian GP during a chaotic restart. As soon as that happened, it didn’t take long for people to speculate that there might be bad blood between them. Spoiler alert! There wasn’t. Sainz said in an interview, “Our relationship is good, and that was neither the first nor the last duel we will have on the track. When we lower our visors, we all want the same thing. That’s the beauty of racing. As long as there’s a certain respect between the drivers, there’s no problem.” That’s the thing. What has seemingly caused a rift between them has nothing to do with their on-track battles.

During a discussion on Cameron F1’s YouTube channel, former Ferrari General Manager Peter Windsor revealed what he knows about their fight. No, it wasn’t about who the better Spanish Defense minister was. Windsor said, “Between the two of them, there was a bit of a falling out earlier this year. I have no idea what that was over. Maybe it was over some sponsor that one of them was talking to that went to the other driver. They fell out in the sense that they used to be very close. Carlos saw Fernando as his mentor, and Fernando saw in Carlos a guy that he really liked.”

Whether it was a greedy sponsor battle or something else, neither has openly addressed it. But even with Sainz’s popularity owing to Ferrari, Windsor said, “In Spain, there’s a tendency for the Spanish and the media to gravitate toward Fernando, partly because he’s been around longer and partly because he’s this renegade who’s out there squash buckling. Carlos Sainz is a bit more refined and a bit quieter.” Despite being the quieter of the two, Sainz has overthrown Alonso as the King of Spain. 

Read More: Carlos Sainz Joins Fernando Alonso to Accuse the Spanish Media of “Clickbait” Over False Revelations Recently

Sainz changed titles from ‘Defense Minster’ to ‘King’ in a week

During the Italian GP—Ferrari’s home race—Sainz took pole position. At that moment, it was the highlight of every Ferrari fan’s season. They couldn’t have asked for more than a pole position in Monza (apart from, obviously, a win in Monza). To be fair, Sainz tried his best to give the Tifosi that on Sunday, but the Red Bulls proved too strong. Either way, his defense against them earned him the title of Spanish Defense Minster (in the eyes of the Tifosi).

A week later, the Spaniard got pole position again. This time, it was at the Singapore GP. In doing so, he secured his fifth pole for Ferrari in only his third season for the team. Alonso, on the other hand, could only manage four poles driving for Ferrari from 2010 to 2014. As soon as Sainz got the Singapore pole to his name, he became the King of Spain in the Tifosi’s eyes. His case only got better after he converted that P1 on Saturday into a P1 on Sunday, giving Ferrari its first win since the 2022 Austrian GP.

Fernando must be proud of his fellow Spaniard’s recent success. Or will he? How serious do you think this rift between Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso is?

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