'Grandfather' who test drove Ferrari's F1 car flips his Ford in Saudi desert
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In December, Spanish racing driver Carlos Sainz made a wish for a '62-year-old grandfather' to be the first person to test a Formula 1 Ferrari car and win the Dakar Rally the same year.
He was talking about his father, veteran rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr. While Sainz Sr. came out in flying colours with his Ferrari test drive, it seems that he would not be able to do a double by winning the Dakar Rally that is ongoing in the desert of Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, Sainz Sr said his chances of defending his Dakar title were over as he finished the 48-hour second stage more than an hour and a half behind rally leader Henk Lategan.
Sainz Sr, now 62, had flipped his Ford Raptor on its roof in the desert dunes of Saudi on Sunday and lost more time today due to a puncture and problems in finding the route. "There's still a long way to go, but clearly my chances of winning have disappeared," the four-time Dakar winner told reporters. "If I can help the team, if I can learn and test some things, then so much the better," he added. The two-week rally ends on Jan. 17.
Last February, Sainz Sr, at 61, won his fourth Dakar title, becoming the oldest to do so. His son, Sainz Jr, witnessed his 'Matador' father's victory in Yanbu.
Sainz Jr. is an exciting racer in the Formula One circuit, having won four Grand Prix across 10 seasons. He left Ferrari and will race for Williams. Modern-day racing great Lewis Hamilton has taken up Sainz Jr's spot at Ferrari.