Carlos Sainz will drive the first Formula 1 race ever held in Madrid this weekend in a Williams painted to look like the team’s 1981 championship car, wearing the helmet design he used as a boy. He was born three miles from the circuit. The retro touches are marketing, but the sentiment is real, and so is the oddity of the situation. A driver with four Grand Prix wins, who was pushed out of Ferrari to make room for Lewis Hamilton, is racing at home for a team that scored 11 points in the first 13 rounds. He signed up for more of it in August. He says it was the right call.
The rally driver’s son
Sainz was born in Madrid on 1 September 1994, the son of a two-time World Rally Champion, and the surname bought him nothing in karting except expectation. Red Bull signed him as a junior in 2010, he won the Formula Renault 3.5 title in 2014, and Toro Rosso gave him a race seat for 2015 alongside a 17-year-old Max Verstappen. That pairing has followed both of them. Verstappen was promoted within 18 months. Sainz stayed, moved to Renault, then McLaren, and built a reputation as the driver every team principal would happily hire and nobody quite built a team around.
Ferrari, and four wins
Ferrari changed that. He joined for 2021, outscored Charles Leclerc in his first season, and took a first win at Silverstone in 2022 from pole. Singapore in 2023 was better: he controlled the race from the front while the whole field waited for him to make a mistake, and beat Red Bull in the only race that team lost all year. Australia in 2024 came a fortnight after appendix surgery. Mexico City that October was his last win in red, and by then he already knew he was leaving. Ferrari had announced Hamilton’s arrival in February. Sainz found out shortly before the world did.
Why Williams
The 2025 choice was between several midfield teams and one long bet. James Vowles’s Williams had been rebuilding its infrastructure for two years with little to show on the timing screens, and Sainz chose it over teams that were quicker in the short term. He has been honest that the decision worried him, admitting to a mental “worry” before agreeing the extension he signed this August. What convinced him was the direction: upgrades that correlated, a factory being rebuilt, and a team principal who talks about 2027 rather than next weekend. Our feature on the Williams rebuild argued that the bet is starting to pay.
2026 and Madrid
The results have not caught up yet. Sainz has six points after 13 rounds, 16th in the standings, one place ahead of team-mate Alexander Albon, in a car that Williams accepts is a step behind the midfield leaders. The 2026 rules favoured whoever built the best engine and Williams is a Mercedes customer, which helps, but chassis development takes longer than a season. Madrid is the weekend that matters regardless. Sainz has spent the build-up warning about the Madring’s unforgiving walls, predicting safety cars and red flags, and reporting a unanimously “shocked” reaction among the drivers to the circuit’s character. A points finish at home would be the most-celebrated 16th place of the season.
Fact file
- Born: 1 September 1994, Madrid, Spain
- F1 debut: 2015 Australian Grand Prix, Toro Rosso
- Wins: 4 (Britain 2022, Singapore 2023, Australia 2024, Mexico City 2024)
- Teams: Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Williams (2025 onwards)
- 2026 number: 55
- 2026 standings after round 13: 16th, 6 points
Frequently asked questions
How many races has Sainz won?
Four, all with Ferrari: Britain 2022, Singapore 2023, Australia 2024 and Mexico City 2024.
Why did he leave Ferrari?
Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and had no seat for him. He chose Williams and extended his deal in 2026.
Is he from Madrid?
Yes, born in the city on 1 September 1994. The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix is his first race there.
Who is his father?
Carlos Sainz Sr, two-time World Rally Champion and multiple Dakar winner.
