F1: Who is Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr? Net worth, height and who is his new girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson?

Carlos Sainz is in his eighth year as a Formula 1 driver, working up the ranks to join the converted Ferrari team in 2021. The driver was born into one of Spain’s most famous racing dynasties and is junior to his two-time World Rally champion father, Carlos Sainz Sr.

Sainz, like many current F1 drivers, got his start in motorsport by competing in karting races. The young driver was inspired by the success of his fellow countryman Fernando Alonso, with Sainz quickly gaining recognition in karting and the junior Formula.

Sainz, known also by his nickname Smooth Operator, was then inducted into the Red Bull Junior Driver programme in 2010 at just 16-years-old and quickly worked his way through the ranks of Formula BMW, Formula Renault and the European F3 Open. Carlos then graduated from the GP3 Series in 2013 but was succeeded by his teammate Daniil Kvyat who was then promoted into F1.

It took two years before Red Bull felt confident to back Sainz in Formula 1, where he was promoted into Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2015 F1 World Championship, to drive alongside his teammate Max Verstappen. Carlos then raced with Renault and McLaren before replacing Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for the 2021 season.

Who is Carlos Sainz?

Carlos Sainz is a Formula 1 driver who was born in Madrid, Spain on September 1, 1994, making him 29-years-old. Sainz was born Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro to his parents Carlos Sainz Sr and Reyes Vázquez de Castro/Monic Sainz.

Sainz is the middle child, and has two sisters, Blanca Sainz Vázquez, 30 and Ana Sainz, 25. Both sisters are now married, with two high-profile ceremonies taking place in Spain.

The driver has two nicknames amongst fans including Chilli and Smooth Operator, the latter coming from him singing Sade’s 1984 hit over his radio during the 2020 World Championship.

Carlos Sainz racing career

Carlos Sainz made his debut in Formula BMW Europe in 2010 as part of the Red Bull Junior team. At the time he was highly praised by the team’s chief advisor Helmut Marko who applauded his strong start in motor racing.

Sainz then made a move into both the British and Euro Series Formula 3 championships in 2013 where he raced for Carlin. In 2013, the driver signed a contract with Arden to compete in the GP3 series.

The Spanish driver was then signed to the Toro Rosso Formula 1 team in 2015, where he raced with teammate Max Verstappen. Sainz finished his debut season in the sport in fifteenth of the Driver’s Championship.

After three years with the team, in 2018, Sainz moved to Renault where he was partnered with Niko Hulkenberg. The Spaniard was then replaced by Daniel Ricciardo in the team for 2019, forcing Sainz to jump over to McLaren where he competed alongside teammate Lando Norris.

Sainz raced alongside Norris for two years before being signed to Ferrari for the 2021 championship to replace Sebastian Vettel. The driver has now been racing alongside teammate Charles Leclerc and had his debut win at Silverstone in 2022.

Who is Carlos Sainz dating?

In May 2023 it was speculated that Carlos Sainz had split with girlfriend of six years, Isabel Hernáez. Isabel is a journalist, model and social media influencer who dated the driver from 2017.

Speculations continued to spiral after the journalist was not seen at Sainz home Grand Prix in Spain and then did not attend the driver’s sister Ana’s wedding later that month. Rumours were not confirmed for several months until she spoke to the press at the Elle Eco Awards where Hernáez said: “I am leaning on my family, my friends and my work, which I have a lot of and thank God I enjoy it a lot,” before adding, “time heals everything.”

Sainz was seen just weeks after his break-up with entrepreneur and social media influencer Rebecca Donaldson. Although the pair are yet to confirm their relationship, the pair have been pictured together on multiple occasions.

Donaldson, 27, has previously been seen with Scott Disick, the ex-husband of Kourtney Kardashian.

Carlos Sainz’s Net Worth

Carlos Sainz has a net worth of $49 million. His salary at Ferrari is reportedly £12 million making him the fifth highest paid driver on the 2023 grid.

How tall is Carlos Sainz?

Carlos Sainz is 1.78 meters tall which makes the driver 5ft 10inches tall.