Written by Annalise Huang, Edited by Jann Erin Castro
30-year-old Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has had an exceptional four-year stint with Scuderia Ferrari, bringing home four career-defining wins before bidding farewell to the red team. Read more about his momentous wins below.
With the 2025 pre-season already beginning, Formula One fans adjust to seeing beloved faces on the grid in jarringly different team settings.
Among those adjustments is former Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s switch of teams from red to blue as he joins Williams alongside Alexander Albon.
Sainz’s time with the team alongside Charles Leclerc afforded Ferrari a clean slate start, following the team’s particularly poor performance in the 2020 F1 season.
From his maiden victory to one final win with the team, Sainz’s blazing Ferrari journey has not only been his dream realised, but also truly one to remember.
Carlos Sainz's first hurrah in Ferrari colours: The 2022 British Grand Prix
Sainz had a strong debut year with Ferrari in 2021, earning the best-of-the-rest accolade for finishing fifth in the driver’s championship, two places ahead teammate Leclerc.
However, his first win didn’t come until mid-way through the 2022 season, where Sainz secured both pole position and his maiden F1 win at the British Grand Prix.
“I don't know what to say. It's amazing,” Sainz said post-race. “I mean, first race win, 150 races later, with Ferrari, in Silverstone. I cannot ask for more. It's a very special day, a day that I will never forget.”
Two years later, in his final weekend with the team in Abu Dhabi, Sainz confirmed the sentiment: “Silverstone [in 2022]... it was the first one and the first one you never forget.”
2. 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
Sainz celebrated his second F1 win at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, marking the only non-Red Bull race winner of that season.
The win is particularly memorable to Sainz for the unique strategy he used to secure the victory.
The race was promising to begin with, Sainz having acquired pole position with both dominating Red Bull cars starting outside the top ten.
In the end, Sainz secured his win by strategically giving runner-up Lando Norris DRS, defending them both against the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Prior to joining Ferrari, Sainz and Norris were teammates at McLaren for two years during 2019 and 2020.
The two were especially known for their fan-favorite bromance, a friendship still well evident through their impressive collaborative performance.
3. 2024 Australia Grand Prix
A sudden appendicitis diagnosis the morning of qualifying at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Sainz undergo emergency surgery and replaced by then-18-year-old Formula 2 prodigy and Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman.
Just sixteen days later, Sainz stormed to victory to win the 2024 Australia Grand Prix. Fans were shocked at his impressive comeback, considering he was still physically recovering from his hospitalisation.
After Max Verstappen was forced to retire his car for the first time in two years, Sainz faced little resistance in securing his win from his starting P2 place on the grid.
The win was especially notable as it was a Ferrari 1-2, Sainz crossing the line just under two and a half seconds ahead of his teammate.
It also set the stage for what would be an unexpectedly competitive season, a major departure from previous Red Bull-dominated years.
4. 2024 Mexico Grand Prix
Perhaps Sainz’s most emotional win was his last ever victory with the red team at the 2024 Mexico Grand Prix.
He was able to surge ahead race leader Verstappen early on in Lap 9, defending his lead steadily despite facing challenges from second-place Norris.
For the second time in the 2024 season, Sainz shared the podium of his race win with teammate Leclerc and former teammate Norris, making the win additionally memorable.
“Honestly, I really wanted this one, I really needed it also for myself – I wanted to get it done,” Sainz shared after the race.
“I’ve been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega crowd is incredible.”
As a parting gift to himself and the team that he has deeply loved, Sainz finished P2 between Norris and Leclerc in Abu Dhabi, bagging one last podium for Ferrari — one reminiscent of his win in Mexico.
Looking ahead, Sainz has expressed enthusiasm about his multi-year contract with Williams, and was more than elated to share a quick selfie at the Grove on his first day.
The future remains bright for Sainz who’ll be bringing his feist determination with him to his new team, sharing:
“I'll remain working hard to try to get myself in a position… to win another race… that's what I'm hungry for and that's what I believe I can do, and that's what I've proven that I can do in Ferrari.”
His four years and four wins with Ferrari will long be remembered within the sport as a story of defying doubts and stepping into greatness — each win bearing its own distinguished and personal ties to the Spaniard.
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