Carlos Sainz
Spanish rally legend, two-time WRC champion, and Dakar winner.
Carlos Sainz Cenamor (born 12 April 1962) is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times. Constructors' world champions to have benefited from Sainz are Subaru (1995), Toyota (1993) and Citroën (2004, 2005 and 2009). In the 2018 season, he was one of the official drivers of the Team Peugeot Total. He received the Princess of Asturias Sports Award in 2020. Sainz founded the Acciona | Sainz XE Team to join Extreme E and competed in the first two seasons alongside Laia Sanz.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Spanish
Lore & Background
Nicknamed El-Matador, Sainz previously held the WRC record for most career starts until Finnish co-driver Miikka Anttila broke the record. He was also the first non-Nordic driver to win the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland. He came close to repeating the feat at the Swedish Rally, finishing second four times and third twice. Alongside his WRC successes, he has won the Dakar Rally (2010, 2018, 2020, 2024), the Race of Champions (1997) and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (1990). His co-drivers were Antonio Boto, Luis Moya, Marc Martí, and Lucas Cruz.
Reader's Guide
Sainz began rallying in 1980. He won the Spanish Rally Championship in 1987 and 1988 with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Ford gave him his first World Rally Championship appearances during the 1987 season. He joined Toyota Team Europe for 1989. In the 1990 season, he claimed his first world drivers' title. In 1992, aboard the ST185 Toyota Celica, he confirmed his second title. He moved to the private but Lancia-backed Jolly Club for 1993, finishing eighth in the drivers' championship. He then drove for Subaru in 1994 and 1995, winning the Monte Carlo Rally, Rally Portugal, and Rally Catalunya in 1995. He returned to Ford for 1996 and 1997.
Did You Know?
- Sainz studied law up to the second scheduled cycle before dedicating himself to motorsport.
- He was the Spanish champion in squash at the age of 16.
- Sainz's first driving experience was at age 11 in his sister Carmen's SEAT 600.
- He drove a limited edition Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 with his name on a plaque, sold in the United Kingdom in 1992.
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