Carlos Sainz jr lived a day he will never forget. On January 1, 2023. The day he went to see a live stage of the Dakar 2023 for the first time. After so many years of following his father’s adventures from afar, with the Dakar time table in front of him, thousands of kilometers , his busy schedule finally allowed him to experience a stage chasing his father’s car, first in the sky, with a helicopter, and later, from different locations with unique landscapes that left Sainz speechless. All this, after getting a big scare at the beginning of the special. When they arrived at his father’s place with the helicopter, they found Carlos and Lucas Cruz standing there. He thought he was giving him “bad luck”, but then ‘el Matador’ attacked to follow before himself. “I think he wants to win in front of us,” the Ferrari driver acknowledged in front of the press present in the bivouac, hoping that this January 1 will be a pure reflection of what his 2023 year could be.
“I hope this will be a good year. It really started today, a great first day for the Sainz family. We also expect it to be a good year for the rest of Sainz (himself) and for Ferrari”, he declared about the Italian team.
“Of course I have spoken to Fred (Vasseur, new boss of Ferrari). And the 2023 car, yes, I saw it. I’ve been following this for months. There is very little left, very little left for the season. Is the season right? Yes, yes, but I don’t say what I think until I see the other cars on the track,” he added to the press, when asked by ‘Sky Sport Italia’.
DECLAS SAINZ SON STAGE 1
“What I experienced today is something very special, in the many places we have been, from the canyons, the sand, the mountains… I think here in Saudi Arabia there is a perfect landscape for the Dakar Rally and the places we have . what was visited today was truly amazing.”
“In the beginning it wasn’t the best experience in the world. Because it was the first time I got on a helicopter to follow my father to Dakar and see the start, we got on the helicopter and looked for him, and we saw it and I saw it stopped (he had a puncture and had to change a tyre). And I said: ‘We’re starting… I don’t know if I gave him bad luck or what’s going on here’, but he recovered quickly and then recovered he lost time, but you can imagine how upset I was about that”.
“After the puncture he continued fast, he won the stage after the puncture and it’s something special. I think now I want to win in front of us”.
“Of course I’ve talked to Fred. And the 2023 car, yes I saw it. I followed it for several months. There is very little left, very little left for the season. Is the season right? Yes, yes, but I don’t say what I think until I see the other cars on the track,” he commented on Ferrari’s options next year with his new 2023 car.
THE DAKAR
“For me, it’s a magical place, everything: this bivouac, the atmosphere that exists between the teams and the pilots… seeing that it’s a competitive environment, but very friendly, an adventurous environment, all in one, which is something that I’m liked it a lot, I’ve been able to enjoy it. I went this morning for a little run around the bivouac to see everything because I arrived yesterday (Saturday) night and I’ m enjoying it a lot, really”.
NEXT, COMPETE IN DAKAR
“If I’m here, it’s because I like it and I’m interested, not only because my father races, but because the Dakar is something I’ve been following since my father was doing it, since 2006 I think, so It’s been 16 years, I’ve been following the Dakar for a lot of time. I want to go. I’m always late for some really bad dates, which is the only week of the year I have to rest and not travel, and this year because the F1 season ended when earlier, I reserved January 1 to go to Dakar”.
“Certainly not now. I’m too busy with my life, you know. But in the future, you never know. It’s a race I really like.”
STAGE 2: SAINZ OPENS THE TRACK
“I had breakfast with him at 7:30 in the morning. We had coffee together and I said to him: ‘What’s the plan today?’ Well, tomorrow if he doesn’t start, I’ll come back, we’ll have coffee and I’ll see what he plans and how he views me. Because he thinks that I already know what he will do (laughs)”.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
