SUMMARY
- Carlos Sainz wins his fourth Dakar rally at the age of 61, breaking his own record.
- Following the astonishing victory, his son, Carlos Sainz Jr. congratulated his father on the feat.
The Formula 1 2023 season proved to be one of the best seasons for Carlos Sainz who brought Ferrari a race win, becoming the only team to defeat Max Verstappen last season. But with his father, Carlos Sainz Sr. winning his fourth Dakar Rally to start 2024, it looks like winning only runs in their genes. However, what Sainz Sr. least expected after his win was to see his won cheering him on.
While the Ferrari driver always wished to make it to the top of the sport and chose his path to building his career in F1, his father has made his name for being a legend in the world of Rally. Sainz Sr. has won the World Rally Championship twice with Toyota and has helped bring Subaru, Toyota, and Citroen World Constructors Championships.
Alongside being a two-time World Rally Champion, he won the Dakar Rally three times until 2024 when he took yet another victory in the sport at the age of 61. Being the living proof that age does not define anything, he received a heartwarming surprise to end his celebration with.
Sainz gives his father the most heartwarming gift of all time
Carlos Sainz has time and time again proven that he is a genius when it comes to making strategies while being on track. His masterclass drive in Singapore which brought him a victory saw the Spaniard pulling one of the smartest moves of all time to keep a McLaren and both Mercedes behind.
After leading the entire race, Sainz took the race win and became known for his genius and how capable he was of bringing Ferrari to the top again. However, it looks like the only one to ever come close to his mastermind is his father who once again brought a victory for himself in the Dakar Rally becoming a four-time winner.
The way the first thing Carlos Sainz Sr. does is grab Carlos’ face like a little kid 😭🤍 pic.twitter.com/0WEWbe5lf2
— ☆ ari (@itsme_ari_hi) January 19, 2024
To Sainz Sr.’s surprise, as he celebrated the victory with his teammate, he spotted his son waiting already at the finish line to watch his father continue to dominate yet again even in his 60s. Once the rally-winner noticed his son waiting for him at the end, he could not hide his excitement as he instantly started getting out of the car to hug his son and celebrate with him.
Father and son goals 🥹@Carlossainz55 congratulating his father on sealing his 4th @dakar career victory at the age of 61.
Congratulations, @CSainz_oficial 🏆
📸 @dakarinsaudi pic.twitter.com/SLepfY7Anm
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) January 19, 2024
With Sainz’s 2024 season coming as close as 43 days, it seemed to have been a great way to kickstart his season watching his father win. The two shared a sweet father-son moment with Sainz Sr. also pinching his son’s cheeks like a baby. The sweet moment was caught on camera which soon became one of the fan favorites.
Carlos Sainz talks about his father’s achievement at the Dakar Rally
While Carlos Sainz has struggled to ever win an F1 championship title, the driver has witnessed his father achieve what he has always dreamt of as he took his fourth win at the Dakar Rally. The Ferrari driver talked about his father’s achievements and how far he has come in his career as he watched him on the podium accepting his championship trophy.
🇸🇦 Family first 🥰
📹: dakarrally#CarlosSainz pic.twitter.com/oaIvB2j7z3
— Carlos Sainz News (@CSainzNews_) January 19, 2024
He said, “I’m proud, relieved, and happy of what he has achieved. He is incredible at his age and this project was his dream and he made it happen.”
Watching his father achieve something that he had worked towards for a long time was a core memory for the Spaniard. However, after returning with the Rally trophy, he will be back preparing for his F1 races.