Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz Cenamor (Madrid, 12 April 1962), nicknamed El Matador, is one of the most successful Spanish rally drivers in history. He won the World Rally Championship in 1990 and 1992 with Toyota and finished runner-up in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1998. Across 196 WRC events he achieved 26 victories and 97 podiums. In 1990, together with Luis Moya, he also became the first non-Nordic driver to win Finland’s 1000 Lakes Rally.

After ending his regular World Rally Championship career, he turned to rally raids. He won the Dakar Rally four times with four different manufacturers: Volkswagen in 2010, Peugeot in 2018, Mini in 2020 and Audi in 2024. With the last of those victories, achieved at the age of 61, he became the oldest winner of the event. His long career and success across different disciplines were recognised in 2020 with Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.