Career Timeline of Carlos Sainz Jr.: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Carlos Sainz Jr. made an impact.

Carlos Sainz Jr. is a Spanish Formula One racing driver currently competing for Williams. Over his 11-season career, he has achieved notable success, securing four Grand Prix victories. He is a prominent figure in motorsports, known for his skill and competitiveness in Formula One racing.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2006: Started Karting Career

In 2006, Carlos Sainz Jr. started his career in karting.

2008: Asia-Pacific KF3 Title and Spanish Championship Runner-Up

In 2008, Carlos Sainz Jr. won the Asia-Pacific KF3 title and finished as runner-up in the Spanish Championship.

2009: Junior Monaco Kart Cup Win and European KF3 Championship Runner-Up

In 2009, Carlos Sainz Jr. won the Junior Monaco Kart Cup and was runner-up in the European KF3 Championship.

2010: Joined Red Bull Junior Team

In 2010, Carlos Sainz Jr. became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.

2010: Graduation to Junior Formulae

In 2010, Carlos Sainz Jr. graduated from karting to junior formulae.

2010: Formula BMW Europe Racing

In 2010, Carlos Sainz Jr. raced in Formula BMW Europe with the EuroInternational team and was part of the Red Bull Junior Team programme. He achieved 3 pole positions, 2 wins, and 2 fastest laps in 9 races.

2011: Formula Renault NEC Championship Win

In 2011, Carlos Sainz Jr. won his first championship at the Formula Renault NEC with Koiranen and finished as runner-up to Robin Frijns in the Eurocup.

2012: British and Euro Series Formula 3 Championships

During the 2012 season, Carlos Sainz Jr. raced in both British and Euro Series Formula 3 championships. He achieved multiple podiums and a pole position in the British championship, finishing sixth overall, and scored podiums and pole positions in the Euro Series, finishing ninth overall.

2012: Contested British Formula 3, Formula 3 Euro Series and FIA European Formula 3

In 2012, Carlos Sainz contested British Formula 3, the Formula 3 Euro Series and FIA European Formula 3 with Carlin.

July 2013: First Formula One Car Experience

In July 2013, Carlos Sainz Jr. had his first experience in a Formula One car at the young drivers' test at Silverstone Circuit, driving both the Toro Rosso STR8 and the Red Bull RB9.

2013: GP3 Series Debut

In 2013, Carlos Sainz Jr. progressed to the GP3 Series with Arden, finishing tenth in his rookie season.

2013: Formula Renault 3.5 Racing

In 2013, Carlos Sainz Jr. raced in Formula Renault 3.5 for the first time, missing several races due to his GP3 commitments. He finished 6th in Monaco but experienced double retirements in Spa and also missed races in Moscow and Austria. He secured a 7th-place finish in Hungary Race 1 but faced issues in Race 2, finishing 22nd. In France, he had another double retirement, and in Catalunya, he retired in race 1 but managed to score 6th place.

2014: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Title and Red Bull Test Drive

In 2014, Carlos Sainz Jr. drove the Red Bull RB10 in the post-season test after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as a reward for his Formula Renault 3.5 Series title.

2014: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Championship Win

In 2014, Carlos Sainz Jr. found success in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, winning the championship with DAMS.

2015: Formula One Debut with Toro Rosso

In 2015, Carlos Sainz Jr. drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso, partnering Max Verstappen. He finished ninth at the Australian Grand Prix, scored points at the Malaysian Grand Prix, and qualified fifth at the Spanish Grand Prix. He recovered to tenth place at the Monaco Grand Prix after starting from the pit lane.

2016: Continued Racing with Toro Rosso

In 2016, Toro Rosso retained Carlos Sainz Jr. and Verstappen. Sainz achieved a career best finish with sixth place at the Spanish Grand Prix and drove from twentieth to ninth place at the Canadian Grand Prix.

2017: Move to Renault

During the 2017 United States Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. replaced Jolyon Palmer at Renault, having already signed with the team from 2018 onwards.

2017: Continued Racing with Toro Rosso

In 2017, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Kvyat remained with Toro Rosso for the season. Sainz scored points in the opening two races but had a collision with Lance Stroll in Bahrain, resulting in a grid penalty for the next race. He had three points finishes, including sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix. Sainz was given another grid penalty for a collision at the Canadian Grand Prix. He recovered to finish eighth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

2018: Racing with Renault

In 2018, Carlos Sainz Jr. consistently qualified in the top ten and scored points, finishing fifth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He described his Monaco Grand Prix as a "disaster" and criticized the team's tire strategy. He dropped to eighth place at the French Grand Prix after his MGU-K failed. He had a race-ending crash at the British Grand Prix and a penalty at the German Grand Prix.

2018: Renault Announcement

In 2018, before the Singapore Grand Prix, it was announced that Carlos Sainz Jr. would join Renault for 2018, on loan from Red Bull. He had previously retired from the Austrian Grand Prix with an engine problem and was eliminated on the first lap of the British Grand Prix. He finished fourth in the Singapore Grand Prix. He crashed in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix and again on the opening lap of the race.

2019: Signed with McLaren and First Podium

In 2019, Carlos Sainz Jr. moved to McLaren, ending his association with Red Bull. He also achieved his maiden podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

2019: Moved to McLaren

In 2019, Carlos Sainz Jr. moved to McLaren, ending his association with Red Bull. He had an unlucky start to the season, consistently scored points, and often finished as the highest-placed driver behind the top three teams. He finished eighth at the Austrian Grand Prix and fifth place at the German Grand Prix.

2020: Second Podium

In 2020, Carlos Sainz Jr. achieved another podium at the Italian Grand Prix.

2020: 2020 Season Events

In 2020, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix. He achieved his then-best career qualifying result at the Styrian Grand Prix, qualifying third. Despite a slow pit stop, he set a new Red Bull Ring track record with the fastest lap. A tyre puncture at the British Grand Prix impacted his result, and a slow pit stop at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix also affected his finish. He finished sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix but failed to start the Belgian Grand Prix due to a power unit issue.

2020: Finished Sixth in the Driver's Championship

In 2020, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished sixth in the Driver's Championship for the second consecutive year, accumulating 105 points and achieving six top-five finishes, marking career highs at the time.

2021: Finished Fifth in the Driver's Championship

Carlos Sainz finished fifth at the Dutch Grand Prix in 2021 but was demoted to eighth due to a penalty. He started eighteenth at the Italian Grand Prix due to an engine penalty and recovered to fourth. He crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix. He claimed pole position at the United States Grand Prix but retired due to damage. Sainz matched his 2021 position with fifth in the Drivers' Championship, scoring 246 points to Leclerc's 308.

2021: Joined Scuderia Ferrari

In 2021, Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Scuderia Ferrari on a two-year contract, partnering with Charles Leclerc. He finished eighth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, his first race for the team. He progressed to fifth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but failed to score points at the Portuguese Grand Prix due to strategy issues. He achieved his first podium with Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing second. Tyre wear issues affected performance at the French Grand Prix. He finished sixth at the Styrian Grand Prix after starting twelfth. A collision at the British Grand Prix impacted his race, but he recovered to finish sixth.

2022: Maiden Pole Position and Win

After a winless debut season for Ferrari, Carlos Sainz Jr. took his maiden pole position and win at the British Grand Prix in 2022.

2022: Sebastian Vettel Retires

Carlos Sainz Jr. replaced Sebastian Vettel, who retired from Formula One at the end of 2022, as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) in February 2025.

2022: 2022 Season Events

In 2022, Carlos Sainz Jr. continued at Ferrari alongside Leclerc, qualifying third for the Bahrain Grand Prix and finishing second after Verstappen's retirement. He retired early at the Australian Grand Prix due to a spin. A qualifying crash and a collision at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix resulted in another retirement. He finished fourth at the Spanish Grand Prix. He qualified and finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix, but a hydraulics issue caused a retirement at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He was runner-up at the Canadian Grand Prix.

2023: 2023 Season Events

In 2023, Carlos Sainz Jr. began the season by finishing fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished fourth at the Australian Grand Prix but was later penalised and demoted to twelfth. He qualified third at the Miami Grand Prix but finished fifth. He crashed in practice at the Monaco Grand Prix and finished eighth. He qualified second at the Spanish Grand Prix but finished fifth, citing tyre degradation as a weakness.

2023: Further Wins for Ferrari

In 2023, Carlos Sainz Jr. secured additional victories for Ferrari at Singapore.

2024: 2024 Season Events

In 2024, Carlos Sainz Jr. began the season with a podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he had appendicitis and underwent surgery, being replaced by Oliver Bearman. After recovering, he won the Australian Grand Prix, marking Ferrari's first one-two finish since 2022. He also had a podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.

2024: Departure from Ferrari

In 2024, Carlos Sainz Jr. left Ferrari and was subsequently replaced by Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. Following his departure, Ferrari gifted him his race-winning F1-75 chassis from 2022.

2024: More Wins

In 2024, Carlos Sainz Jr. secured victories for Ferrari at Australia and Mexico City.

2024: Contract Extension with Ferrari

In 2024, Carlos Sainz Jr. signed a contract extension with Ferrari, committing to the team until the end of the year.

February 2025: Appointed as Director of GPDA

In February 2025, Carlos Sainz Jr. was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), replacing Sebastian Vettel.

2025: Las Vegas Grand Prix Stats

As of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz Jr. has achieved four race wins, six pole positions, four fastest laps, and 28 podiums in Formula One.

2025: Joined Williams Racing

In 2025, Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Williams Racing on a two-year deal, partnered with Alexander Albon. He crashed in the rain-affected Australian Grand Prix. He finished tenth in the Chinese Grand Prix after disqualifications for other drivers. He finished outside of the points at the Japanese Grand Prix. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, he sustained damage. At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he finished eighth. He obtained his first podium with Williams at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing third.