Jan 02, 2026
3 min read
The Spaniard could have given up the competition in several projects, but he believes in fate and awaits the 19th Dakar with the desire to win with Ford: "We are ready."
Sainz: "I could have given it to the FIA president or Real Madrid"
The Spaniard considered stopping competing for several projects, but believes in luck and now faces his 19th Dakar with the desire to win with Red Bull and Ford: "We are ready."
Carlos Saenz (age 63, Madrid) has passed many editions since the first.Yes 19. But if the native of Madrid has managed to keep up over time, it is the motivation and the will to go out for victory.Being the first Spaniard to get the Taureg inspired him to continue, in the way that there were plans that could have prematurely removed him from the competition like "FIA or Real Madrid. Presidency" according to him, but fate wants him to get his fifth trophy in 2026 with Ford and Red Bull where he participated for the last time.After that, it's time to look in the mirror again.
- We are here again and I don't know how the whole Dakar ended last year, this wait and this year seemed particularly long.
- You always know that the wait will be long, whether you win or whether you face problems.You try to face the year with enthusiasm and desire to return the following year with guaranteed success.I think the work we have done this year is very good.It is true that Morocco and some of the gatherings we have organized did not go as well as I wanted them to go, but also from my experience they tell me that the fact that Morocco does not go well is sometimes good;because it means that problems can still be solved in Dakar, as happened to me for example in the year I won with Audi or even in other contexts.
- Last year I said that Ford is still a young car that can fight for the Dakar, and this year when it has more kilometers, but the route looks more difficult.Despite this, will the Raptor be up to the challenge?
- I would like to think that we already have a year of experience, we rode more than before (they completed more than 10,000 km of tests), the car has improved, the car has not only one more bag of luggage, but another year of testing and the team has participated in all the races, where the most important thing, apart from working on reliability, we are also prepared on the car.There is a lot of similarity with many candidates now, but we have improved
"I want Ford to win, but if I can do it myself, it'll be like coming full circle."
- You remember your competitors, but they must remember that statistically and after a difficult year they won.What does winning this Dakar mean to you?
—It seems so, but the statistics are not always true (laughter).As I said last year, my feelings have not changed.Winning this Dakar would be very nice because Ford was the brand that gave me the chance to reach the World Championship (rally), then I was with them at least twice, with the Sierra, with the Escort, with the Focus... When Ford decided to land Malcolm Wilson in the Dakar, they combined many ingredients to create something special.So if we are lucky and win, the first thing I ask is for Ford to win.But if they can do that, it would be really nice because it would bring things full circle a bit.
– Think only about the victory or is Carlos Sainz not happy?
-Uh, insatiable...I don't know if that's the right word.I think what I am is a little annoying.I'm someone my wife says is a bit serious.but not satisfiedI don't know if that's the right word or not.I still have a lot of motivation to run rallies, I still have fun and that's why I'm here.But I don't know what the word greed is.Because if you're hereBecause it's fun.
"I'll see what I do when the Dakar is over, but I've earned the right to compete as long as I want."
— He still has the motivation and continues to enjoy what he does, but this is the last Dakar he signed on paper with Ford.If you still have these ingredients, does that mean you are looking for opportunities after 2026?
—When I remember, whether I had a contract or not, I was always thinking about the future.I think it was a practice at my age to look in the mirror after the Dakar and ask a series of questions, and I still do it today.I've been doing this ever since I started the Dakar, and each year the reasons for doing it increase.That's when you really have to be honest with yourself and based on the answers I found when the Dakar is over, well, let's see what I do.Even if it's not your sole responsibility, as long as you have the option to continue and you like it.That decision also depends on whether there are brands willing to hire you.But when the time comes, I'll look in the mirror and ask myself a question.Of course, I want it to be my decision, not anyone else's.I don't know what Ford's plans are, and I'll tell you when I have to, but I've earned the right to drive as much as I want.
- You said that many competitors are expected at this Dakar.Dacia delivered exactly four cars to match Ford, I don't know if the competitor worries him the most or if he thinks about everyone.
- No, the champion brand is Toyota, which won last year (Dakar and World Cup).They have a very, very strong, developed car, more than five or six drivers with options.This is why I fear that Toyota is the same as Dacia, not just Dacia.
- The Toyota line is still very young, and new generations are often talked about.You target them too, but veterans still fight.Do you really see this translation put together?
—Bueno... es cuestión de tiempo. A lo mejor este año hemos visto un campeón del mundo como Moraes, aunque también fue un poco regalo de Nasser (Al Attiyah). Pero al final el campeón del mundo es Lucas Moraes, piloto nuevo de Dacia, también está Ferreira, está Lategan que ya hizo segundo el año pasado, está Quintero... Hay muchos pilotos jóvenes que están llegando con un gran ritmo y que es solo cuestión de tiempo de que acaben ganando. Para ganar el Dakar hace falta también experiencia, por supuesto velocidad y talento, pero yo creo que esa nueva generación está ya a puntito de entrar. Peterhansel, Nasser y yo nos hemos estado jugando el Dakar durante muchísimos años y es bueno que vengan nuevas generaciones.
— Regarding this particular version, what do you think is the difference between winning and losing?
- As in other editions.You will have to drive faster than everyone else and make fewer mistakes.But you have to find a balance because the Dakar is now won by going faster and you have to have fewer problems and make fewer mistakes than others.
"I've always strived to excel because I know I can go faster."
- In that sense you know your rivals well.He once shared a team with Nasser and Loeb, now he shares with Nani.Have you also focused on getting stronger over all these years or has it always been more about yourself?
— Man, I guess I didn't notice.I try to learn from everyone, but it's true that maybe I consider myself not only now, but always, a driver in the innovative sense.I try to follow my path, I try to be true to my strategy, true to the way I work and that also makes the team trust me.For my teammates, many times they also follow that line and I try to be a driver that I always look for excellence, I try to do better, I look for attention to detail, I definitely look for firmness, discipline and always work closely with the team, I try to put the car the way I like, because that's how I know I can go fast.At this point in my sports career, I think I will never change, but I always open my eyes to learn, because it is stupid not to learn from the very good people around me.
- This year you arrived in Dakar, but when did you realize that this race will mean such an important part of your life and sporting career?
- When I tried it, I said "I love it". After the first year I didn't know if I would stay long, but because I loved it, it was clear to me that I wanted to be the first Spaniard to win a championship in a race and that's how it happened. Finally I achieved it, but not before a few disappointments, and then I was lucky to continue and win four times (with VW, Peugeot, Mini and Audi). That gives you an idea of how much I love this career.
— I don't know if it was so close to an early farewell to the fight for the presidency of the FIA .Is it something you've already stopped doing or do you still remember it?
"Well, we'll see what happens in the future, but there is something."I was on the side because of the FIA president (by leaving the competition), but because of the whole Real Madrid thing.These are the things I knew it was time.If I had continued, it would have been time to stop racing, if not last year.
——Now, do you think you are closer to the FIA or Real Madrid?
-I'm seeing Ford (laughs).I believe in fate and destiny that on January 3, 2026 I will start the Dakar;No one knows what will happen in the future.The most important thing is that I am satisfied with what is happening these years.
"Watching F1 at Yarram made me want to race a car."
- Another important detail for you, I imagine it will be the arrival of Formula 1 in Madrid...
—The fact that Formula 1 is coming to Madrid is a source of pride for all Madrid residents and all Spaniards. I wish it success for motorsport, Madrid and Spain. We hope that all the pilots will like it too. I went to the last Grand Prix in Jarama, and I remember it like it was now. I was a child at that time, so I think about what it meant to many children, just like I did when I went to the Grand Prix. That feeling created this hobby and the desire to competecars. Madrid always welcomes major events in a special way, and the arrival of this grand prix now is a milestone. It is clear that F1 is experiencing a very good moment and may have managed to attract an audience that was a little far away, but the numbers right now are spectacular. The grand prixes are always packed and generate a lot of exposure and great interest. We hope that Madrid will be a wonderful and special prize for many people.
-The intuition of your son Carlos led him to Williams and at the end of the season it was confirmed that it was a good bet.What did your intuition tell you for this deck?
- That's right.In my case, my intuition for Dhaka is that we have our options and if I want to I want Ford to win all of the above Dakar.If only I could do better, but I want it to be Ford.
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