How did Carlos Sainz get his dad into trouble? Spaniard catches FIA attention for innocent mistake

Carlos Sainz Jr. is currently supporting his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., in the 2023 Dakar rally series, held in Saudi Arabia. The veteran rally driver has been in the sport for more than 30 years and has won several World Rally Championships in his prime years. Though he has been doing quite well in the 2023 Dakar rally series, he was recently under investigation for an innocent mistake made by his son.

In one of the stages of the race, Sainz Sr.'s car broke down midway through the race. Several mechanics and his son reached the scene and tried to fix the car as soon as possible. Amid all this, Carlos Sainz Jr. shut the door of the car after the mechanics failed to repair the car properly.

This very act of closing the door was noted by the FIA delegates and the team was under investigation for a rule break. According to Article 49.2.1 of the regulations, 'the presence of team personnel or any team conveyance (including helicopters) is prohibited within 1 kilometer of its competing vehicle'.

No further action was taken against Audi and Sainz Sr. after they argued that Carlos Sainz Jr. was not part of the team and didn't act on the team's orders.

Carlos Sainz Jr. has now left the 2023 Dakar series venue and returned to Ferrari to work towards the next F1 season.

---

Carlos Sainz speaks about his future after F1

Since Carlos Sainz Jr. was present in the 2023 Dakar rally series to support his father, he was also interviewed by the media and was asked about the rally racing series and his future.

The young Spaniard made it clear that he has no intention of leaving F1 and his commitment to his team. He, however, also hinted that he may move to another racing sport after F1. Since his father has been in rally racing for over 30 years, Sainz has expressed his love for the racing series. He said:

"If I'm here it's because I'm interested in the race and I like it, not just because my dad is here. It's a beautiful race, which I've been following for over fifteen years. Not at the moment, I'm too busy as you all know. But in the future, you never know. Again, it's a race I really like."

He further added:

"Let's hope it can be a good year. It has started very well for the Sainz family, I hope it will be the same for me and for Ferrari. Have I seen the new car? Of course, I've been following it for several months and I spoke to the new team principal Vasseur. The tests are almost there, but I won't say anything until I see the others on the track."

Sainz has also talked about how he has already seen the new 2023 Ferrari car and talked to the new team principal Frederic Vasseur about next season. He claimed to know how the development tests look and is hopeful for the future.