Double world rally champion Carlos Sainz secured victory at the Rally de Asturias Historico, marking his competitive debut behind the wheel of a Ford Puma Rally1 World Rally Championship car.
The 1990 and 1992 world champion stepped into the latest‑generation WRC machine at the 10‑stage asphalt rally in Spain, an event honoring his distinguished career.
The 64‑year‑old partnered with longtime co‑driver Luis Moya for the rally, covering 126.66 kilometres of competition.
Sainz faced two former WRC adversaries: nine‑time world champion Sébastien Loeb and four‑time rally winner François Delecour, both driving classic Peugeot 306 Maxi cars.
Loeb dominated the opening three stages, building a 24.9‑second advantage over Sainz ahead of the initial service. Sainz responded by winning two of the next three stages, then assumed the lead when Loeb’s Peugeot 306 Maxi suffered a clutch failure on stage eight. Sainz ultimately secured victory by a margin of 1 minute 3.6 seconds over Delecour.
“It was exciting, but more than anything it was a fantastic weekend,” Sainz said at the finish line. “The result is secondary; the people made it amazing, and I’m pleased with how the race unfolded.”
“We were a bit concerned about the massive crowds; we didn’t know how many fans would turn up, but seeing the sea of supporters made everything go smoothly. I’d like to thank everyone who came to cheer us on, the organisers, and, as I mentioned on day one, Ford and Red Bull for making this possible.”
#225 Ford M-Sport Ford: Carlos Sainz Sr
Photo by: A.S.O.
Across his WRC career, Sainz amassed 196 rally starts, achieving 26 victories and 97 podium finishes with Toyota, Subaru, Lancia, Ford, and Citroën machinery.
After retiring from the World Rally Championship at the end of 2005, Sainz transitioned to rally‑raid, securing four Dakar Rally titles (2010, 2018, 2020, 2024).
He joined Ford’s factory World Rally‑Raid Championship team for 2025 and currently holds ninth place in the season standings.
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