There are two sides to Formula 1 driver, Carlos Sainz: the tenacious racer known for his calm demeanour and precision-led manoeuvres and the man off the track who listens to Benson Boone and loves meercats.
“When I’m in my working environment, I can come across as very serious on camera,” says the Williams racer and L’Oréal Paris ambassador. “I do a lot of interviews when under pressure, but in reality, I’m actually really silly.”
Sainz is currently at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where he will be attending the ‘Lights on Women’ program by L’Oréal Paris – an award that addresses the underrepresentation of women in film by supporting female filmmakers.
During the festival marie claire caught up with Carlos Sainz to chat about the quality he values the most in people, what he learnt from Rafael Nadal and the most challenging thing he’s had to unlearn in life.
Who was your childhood hero?
“My dad has always been my mentor and one of my heroes. I’m lucky to have adapted this double-time world champion discipline. Rafael Nadal has also been an important influence in my life. I have tried to adopt his court attitude towards winning and losing.”
Who is a fictional character that you resonate with the most?
“Timon from The Lion King. I love meerkats; they’re very funny animals.”
What is the soundtrack to your life right now?
“Recently, I’ve been obsessed with the song Beautiful Things by Benson Boone. It gives me this huge energy boost through my training and life in general.”
What is the quality that you value the most in people?
“I admire people who are very transparent with their feelings. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, whenever someone opens up and is honest, I really value it.”
What is the biggest misconception about you?
“When I’m in my working environment, I can come across as very serious on camera. I do a lot of interviews when under pressure, usually right before or right after a competition. In reality, I’m actually really silly.”
What has been the most challenging thing to unlearn in life?
“Every time I change teams, I have to unlearn many habits and relearn many new things. As an athlete and a driver, you are in this constant evolution where you must try things that may or may not work.”
What is a topic that you want people to talk about more?
“This is a lot of underrepresentation of female directors in the film industry. We need to discuss that more, especially at Cannes this week.”
If you could change something about the world, what would it be?
“Equal opportunity to everyone in the world, so everyone has the same chance to be the best version of themselves. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same opportunities or privilege, so I would want everyone to start from the same point and then let people thrive in their own ways.”
Why did you choose to partner with L’Oréal Paris?
“Since my early days in Formula 1, my fans have been hyping up my hair and skincare. I wanted to find someone with values similar to the cutting-edge technology and science in Formula 1, so L’Oréal was the perfect partner.”
What does the phrase “I’m worth it” mean to you?
“To chase my dreams and be the best version of myself. We must remind each other to challenge ourselves to get where we want to be.”
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