Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz joined his father, four-time Dakar Rally winner and two-time World Rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr, for an off-road test with Ford Racing and the brand's Raptor T1+ in Zaragoza. This happened as Sainz Sr continued his prep work for the 2026 Dakar Rally.
In a video released by Ford Racing, the Spaniard joined his father in the car before he sat behind the wheel himself on a rough gravel course.
“It’s a different sport. It’s a different, completely different discipline,” he said, adding that the ride was “very physical… more physical than I thought.”
Sainz reflected on the intense racing as co-driver beside his experienced father.
“Like every three seconds I’m like, ‘Dad, careful.’ … We were sliding and I could see a massive stone coming towards me and we just miss it by this much,” he said. “It’s the co-driver that impresses me… the co-driving is tough.”
After swapping places, the recent podium-scorer was surprised by the difference in machinery between his usual Williams car and the T1+.
“I didn’t realise… in the F1 car, we don’t go full throttle until fourth,” he said. Once up to speed, his confidence built quickly. "So much better driving than co-driving… The car is amazing. It’s one of the best race cars I’ve ever driven. The faster you take a bump, the better.
"So he was like, ‘Flat out, flat out.’ And I was like, ‘Uh, downshift.’”
Calling the session “one of the best days of my life,” Sainz Jr said the session gave him a new appreciation for rally-raid. “It’s completely different to Formula 1. Is completely the opposite,” he said.
Sainz Sr will continue with Ford Racing for the 2026 Dakar season after a disappointing finish to his 2025 campaign.
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