They say ‘love is blind’. Who ‘they’ are, no one knows. But from the example we’re about to present, either love has an aspect of memory loss too, or dark times are to follow for F1’s ‘happy’ couple. Carlos Sainz has been dating UK-based model Rebecca Donaldson for the past few weeks. They were spotted soaking up the sun in a yacht in Corsica, France. Out of all the moments, one that stood out was an intimate moment that the couple shared on an airplane. It’s been only 3 weeks since that warm moment and all warmth seems to have been lost.

A couple of months ago, the Ferrari racer broke up with Isa Hernaez, his girlfriend of 6 years. But the seemingly dark phase was short-lived. Sainz found a partner in Rebecca who he welcomed and embraced with open arms. Their relationship sped up as quickly as the SF-23 on low-downforce circuits like Monza, the one where he’ll be racing this weekend. According to the F1 Gossip official Instagram page, they were spotted sitting face to face with their heads touching. The ‘Smooth Operator’ seemed to have found the sweet spot of smooth sailing with his girlfriend.

But here’s the twist in the tale. No sooner has their relationship ascended to such harmonious levels than has it fallen flat on its face. Today, on the 1st of September, Sainz is celebrating his 29th birthday. And what better place to do it than Ferrari‘s home ground at the Italian GP? While he is receiving all the love in the world from the Tifosi and his team, his girlfriend, Rebecca has remained tight-lipped. There has been no wish or greeting from her on social media.

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For someone who made a statement of love in the public domain, what stopped her from doing so on her boyfriend’s birthday? Is there trouble in paradise for the celebrity couple? That is up for speculation and individual interpretation. But what is not up for speculation is Sainz’s heroic performance in FP1 at Monza.

Carlos Sainz secures an unexpected P2 splitting the two Red Bulls in FP1 at the Italian GP

2022 was when Ferrari looked like a fierce championship contender. Max Verstappen and Red Bull turned out to be a bit too quick and spot-on with their strategic calls to be outclassed. 2023 has been nothing short of self-humiliation for the Maranello outfit. They are no match for table-toppers Red Bull.

However, Carlos Sainz has shown some signs of a comeback in FP1 at Monza. He finished in P2 only 0.046 (46 hundredths) behind reigning World Champion, Verstappen. He was over a tenth quicker than Sergio Perez in the 2nd RB19. Leclerc too showed some pace but slotted in P4, 2 and a half tenths behind his teammate.

So, professionally, things seem to be taking an upward turn for the Spaniard. But can the same be said for his relationship with Rebecca Donaldson?

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