Williams Racing Formula One driver Carlos Sainz was part of a test with Ford Racing alongside his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., driving the Dakar Rally spec Ford Raptor T1+ at Zaragoza, Spain. Sainz Sr. is a two-time World Rally Champion who is prepping to secure his fifth Dakar win next year.
The 63-year-old rally icon secured his fourth Dakar Rally win in 2024, but this year, his Dakar campaign fell apart after his car rolled over. An impact on the roll cage meant he had to retire from the race. Now though, as he ramps up efforts for another attempt next year, his son, Sainz Jr., joined him and got a taste of what it feels like to go flat out on the dirt.
Replacing Sainz Sr.’s navigator, Lucas Cruz, he sat beside his father before attempting his run. However, the first session with the rally champion left him exhausted. Revealing his first impression as a rally passenger, he said:
“Right now, I’m struggling. It’s a crazy experience. It’s a massive roller coaster. I cannot explain how much risk it feels they take. It’s like it feels like they’re risking their life in every corner, in every bump, in every change of direction, every rock. Every compression feels like the last compression of your life.
“And the guy [Sainz Sr.] is super relaxed and I’m like ‘this is crazy.’ And I’m all the time like ‘careful, careful, careful. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.’ I wish people could experience this. I was starting to, after 10 minutes, feel, not sick, but like I cannot do more than 20 minutes as a co-driver. Then as a driver I think I can deal with it better because you’re under control.”
In his second outing with his dad, the 31-year-old was quick to point out that the cabin was “claustrophobic.”
Sainz Jr. then got behind the wheel of the rally monster, revealing that he was “very stressed.” However, his opinion soon changed after going flat out and sliding the car on dirt. Revealing his first impression, he said:
“The car gives you so much confidence, and its so good over the bumps… I loved it! So much fun. So much better driving than co-driving.
“I enjoyed it a lot. The car is amazing. One of the best race cars I’ve ever driven. Gives you a lot of confidence. It’s almost asking you to push more, which for me is good. The faster you take a bump, the better. So he [Sainz Sr.] was like ‘flat out flat out’ and I was like ‘down shift.’ And then the next lap ‘ok lift.’ And then the next lap ‘flat out.’ And from there on, I was getting more confident.”
Sainz then highlighted that being a passenger is the only way to truly understand how far rally drivers push their cars. He said:
“We did four laps, and for me, my conclusion is more people should try being your [Sainz Sr.’s] co-driver because (through) this you understand what these guys do, which is crazy. You need to be there to understand.”
Elaborating on his experience driving the Ford Raptor T1+, Sainz Jr. said:
“It’s something I’ve never done in my life. I didn’t expect it to be so rough, so wild, so fast. Best experience, top two, top three best experiences in my life. There is trying for your first time in an F1 car, and this is up there with that. So it’s how impressive these cars are and how impressive my daddy is driving. He’s a monster. He’s completely mad. The fact that he still does this at 63 amazes me. That’s what I was thinking, like, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this still?”
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