Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has explained how he separates his off-track friendships from his on-track rivalries, revealing that he only sees rival cars rather than the specific driver when he is racing.
Speaking in an interview with People Magazine, the Spaniard detailed the mental approach required to race against drivers he regularly spends time with away from the circuit, such as Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and his team-mate Alex Albon.
Sainz formed a well-documented, fan-favourite friendship with Norris, affectionately known as 'Carlando', during their stint as McLaren team-mates. While the two remain close and often play golf and padel together, Sainz insists his personal relationships are irrelevant once he is in the cockpit of his F1 machinery.
"We are extremely competitive and when I put a helmet on, I want to destroy Lando, and I wanna beat him and I wanna beat Alex, beat Charles, beat all of them," the 31-year-old explained.
"And when I'm driving, I don't see Lando in front of me, I just see a Ferrari or a McLaren, and I just know I need to overtake him."
He added: "But it is true that when you take off the helmet, you can see things in relative, maybe not with the pressure of having the helmet on and racing to death like we do."
Currently in his 12th season of F1, Sainz has driven for multiple teams over the years, including Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), Renault (now Alpine), McLaren, Ferrari and Williams.
After being replaced at Ferrari by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Sainz signed with Williams alongside Albon.
The Grove outfit has had a difficult start to the 2026 season after it arrived at pre-season testing in Bahrain with an overweight car. After the first seven rounds, Sainz sits 14th in the drivers' championship with six points.
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