After Carlos Sainz Sr tried Jr's Formula 1 car last year, it was Jr's turn to try his dad's wheels
Photography by Ford Racing
Words by David Evans, DirtFish Head of Media
Black suit. White, open-face helmet and a door to close. Williams Formula 1 star Carlos Sainz is searching for his comfort zone. He’s not about to find it in the next five minutes.
Anything but.
“I’m s******g myself. That’s all I have to say.”
Door closed, Ford Raptor T1+ fired and father and son Sainz are on their way to the stage.
A year ago, Carlos Sr had the opportunity to test a Ferrari Formula 1 car. That was Junior’s world. In Zaragoza, roles were reversed. The plan was simple, father would drive son, then son would drive father. Just a day of family fun.
Sainz Jr was immediately up to speed with Ford's stunning M-Sport-prepared Raptor T1+
“I’m stressed,” said Jr.
The five-time Dakar winner sitting alongside smiled. Then laughed.
“I’m sure he’ll enjoy it,” said Sr. “Let’s see how it goes.”
The other side of the car: “That’s the last thing I feel like doing. I’m really not looking forward to it.”
They’re away. The wail of the five-liter V8 fills the skies above Spain’s north-east corner. The rapid dust trail demonstrates the pace, this is no installation lap. Carlos is on one.
Back in and Junior steps gingerly from the car.
“I’m tired and I haven’t done anything,” he smiles.
Sainz’s Ford team-mate Nani Roma steps in and enquires if they’ve done the downhill section yet? They haven’t. Senior smiles, while #55 looks – not for the first time – like he’s wondering how he found himself here.
“I still have the worst left,” he said, before pondering the more positive.
“Or maybe the best… It’s a massive rollercoaster. I can’t explain how much risk it feels they take. It feels like they’re risking their life on every corner, in every bump and every change of direction; in every rock and every compression… it feels like that’s the last compression of your life.
Sainz Jr debriefs with Dakar legends... his father and fellow M-Sport Ford driver Nani Roma
“And the guy is super-relaxed and I’m like: “This is crazy!” All the time I telling him: “Careful, careful, careful. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! I wish people could experience this. I was starting after 10 minutes, not [to feel] sick, but I cannot do more than 20 minutes as a co-driver. As a driver, I can deal with that much better because you’re in control. It’s tough for the co-drivers.”
Then, the switch.
Sainz Sr’s rally career began 45 years ago. He contested 196 rounds of the World Rally Championship and topped the world twice. As a driver. He doesn’t really do co-driving. Except today, he does. He keeps his driving gloves on, pushes himself hard back into the seat usually reserved for Lucas Cruz, pushes his right foot against the door to practice a basic brace, then pulls the belts just that bit tighter.
He’s ready. Kind of. Junior’s still stressed. But marginally less so now he has the wheel before him.
Sainz Jr found driving far more comfortable than co-driving - but thinks everyone should try sitting in one of these cars
Immediately – and predictably – Carlitos is pushing the Raptor harder and harder. Then, they’re flat.
Junior: “There was a bump and he was like: “Flat out, flat out, flat out!” I was err… downshift, next lap, okay lift and then next one we were flat out. From there and I was getting more confident.
“The car gives you so much confidence and it’s so good over the bumps. Even on the rollers, I expecting it to be lazy, which I understand is not a rally car. I loved it so much. The car is amazing, one of the best race cars I’ve ever driven. It’s almost asking you to push more, which, for me, is cool – the faster you take a bump the better.
“We did four laps and my conclusion is that more people should try being your co-driver, because then you understand what these guys do… it’s crazy! You need to be there to understand.
“It’s super-underestimated on the TV. It looks like a few bumps, a bit sideways… but how close you are to the limits. It reminds me of F1: it doesn’t look on TV like you go. You need to try it.
“This was something I’ve never done in my life. I didn’t expect it to be so rough, so wild, so fast – it’s one of the best experiences, top-three experiences in my life. The first time we try an F1 car, and this is up there with that. That’s how impressive these cars are.”
But it wasn’t just the car that impressed the four-time Formula 1 race winner.
“How impressive my dad… he’s a monster! It’s completely mad that he still does this at 63. It amazes me.”
Sainz Jr has plenty of time left in Formula 1, but today he reaffirmed the hindmost part of his career.
“I actually talked about it with my dad,” he said. “That maybe, one day, I’ll try the Dakar. I can see myself trying it one day.”
One day. This day was done.
And what started out as a simple story of a son borrowing his father’s Ford became so much more – another day family Sainz will never forget.
Words:David Evans
Tags: Carlos Sainz, Dakar, Ford Raptor T1+, Formula 1
Publish Date October 1, 2025 DirtFish
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