Carlos Sainz is now considered a world champion material. Till the Miami GP this year, he was the only non-Red Bull winner, conquering the ever-dominant Max Verstappen twice in two years. This gave him ultimate leverage in the driver market for 2025. His father, Carlos Sainz Sr, also a professional racer, made a considerable contribution to his career, leading him to this point. From the hundreds of lessons his father taught, the earliest yet the most complete advice still stays with him.

Like his ex-teammate Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz too developed an inclination towards driving at a very early age. In 2023, a video of his 3-year-old self drifting a quad bike in his backyard went viral on social media. Around that time, the Ferrari driver also revealed how he was “too shy” and would get “pushed around “during his karting days. Elaborating on the same topic, Sainz has reiterated how his father’s golden advice changed his entire outlook.

“I believed I was everyone’s friend, everyone liked me,” Sainz said about his karting friends on the Nude Project podcast. “But the world of engines is very competitive. I went to kart races, and I thought I was a friend, but they gave me a tough time. Maybe their parents would tell them, ‘Hey, he is the son of Carlos Sainz. The whole world is watching you. If you beat him, you are very good,'” he added.

He also said how watching him struggle, his father Sainz Sr felt the need to step in for a pep talk, explaining, “My father sat me down and told me, ‘Carlos, life is very, very hard. In this sport, either you bite or get bitten. Right now, they are biting you and making your life very difficult. You are a good guy who likes to be friends with everyone. Be a good friend and play soccer during breaks with other drivers. But here, you either bit or get bitten. When you put on that helmet, make sure you’re the one that bites.'”

Since then, Sainz has never been the same person once the helmet is out and the lights are out. Off-track, he still exhibits shyness and utter friendliness with everybody. His reciprocated appreciation for Williams’ boss James Vowles also ignited rumors of him signing a contract with them. But there is no truth to those, at least, in one former F1 boss’ eyes.

Eddie Jordan rules out Carlos Sainz’s rumored move to Williams

Exiting a top team like Ferrari, Williams definitely wouldn’t have been Carlos Sainz‘s first choice. But the struggling legacy team is all he’s left with unless he feels otherwise about the delayed Audi decision. Despite Williams even reportedly offering a 4-year contract, Eddie Jordan still isn’t convinced.

“To see them [Williams] where they are now is a little bit of a pity. It’s a shame,” Jordan said on the Formula for Success podcast. “Can they bounce back? Of course. Anyone can bounce back. However, it’s a much tougher job these days, because it’s geared with finance. Carlos Sainz is tipped to go there. Do I see that happening? Honestly, I don’t see that happening. It won’t happen.”

Sainz’s father has great connections with Audi. The 2-time Rally World Champion won Audi their first Dakar earlier this year. This pre-existing relationship could be why the 29-year-old is Audi’s priority target. What route does he take in such a situation?