Carlos Sainz, two -time world rally champion and three -time Dakar winner, will turn 60 on Tuesday April 12 and there is no sign of removing his foot from the accelerator in a longer career that he still has no intention of ending.
Carlos Sainz Cenamor, born in Madrid on April 12, 1962, continues at full capacity, now focused on raids, where Dakar as a good goal, and fighting in the Estreme-E championship for off-road vehicles powered by electricity and with Laia Sanz as a partner in the Acciona team.
Competitive since he was born, Carlos Sainz was the first Spanish squash champion (1979) before starting to stand out in the world of motorsports. It started on the circuits, with national titles in the 1982 Renault Initiation Cup and in the 1983 Renault National Cup.
He immediately came to the rallies, his great passion. In 1987 and 1988 he was proclaimed champion of Spain at rallies. And it took a short time to make the jump to the World Championship, where he won two titles, in 1990 and 1992, which, due to various life changes, could be more. He has four runners-up and five third place and has won a total of 26 rallies in the world.
When he left the World Rally Championship (his last race in the tournament was third place at the Acropolis of Greece in 2005, his 97th podium), The rider from Madrid refused to sit down and the following year, at 44 years old, he faces the first of his sixteen participation so far in the legendary Dakar.
It took five years and four participation to achieve his first victory in the toughest test. It was in 2010 at the controls of a Volkswagen Race Touareg. Then came the successes of 2018 (with a Peugeot 3008 DKR) and 2020 (with a Mini John Cooper Works Buggy). In addition, he was third in the 2011 and 2021 editions. This year he finished twelfth, delayed due to machine problems.
Sainz holds the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit (2002), the Prince of Asturias Award of the National Sports Awards of 1990 and the Princess of Asturias Sports Award of 2020, in which he opted to join the other six . previous editions.
Now, at 60 years old, Carlos Sainz has no intention of giving up his great desire. He remains competitive and as long as he is, he will continue to fight to add more achievements and expand his brilliant track record.
One of the first to greet him on his birthday was his son Carlos, who described him as ‘the greatest’.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
