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How Sainz went from the fringes to Ferrari in two years

Carlos Sainz Jr's Formula 1 career looked set to be at a crossroads in 2018 when it became clear his tenure at Renault would be a brief one. But after a brilliant 2019 campaign at McLaren, the Spaniard was Ferrari's first pick to replace Sebastian Vettel

Today's confirmation that Carlos Sainz Jr will join Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel's replacement for 2021 completes a remarkable recent career trajectory for the 25-year-old.

Less than two years ago, Sainz was at serious risk of being left without a seat as one of the most volatile driver markets in recent F1 history played out. This time around, he is the big winner, gaining an opportunity rarely afforded to midfield drivers nowadays by landing a race-winning car for the future. And it's one he has worked tirelessly to get.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.