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Ferrari Transforms Into Santa for “Smooth Operator” Carlos Sainz by Taking a $540K Hit to Their Deep Pockets

Published 12/26/2022, 11:30 AM EST

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via Reuters

Ferrari’s luck seems to have taken a turn since they signed up Carlos Sainz. The team has recovered from a disastrous season in 2020 to rise as a top contender again in 2022. While they still got some fundamental issues to resolve, the Spaniard got a nice gift from Ferrari for Christmas. Sainz had requested a customized Ferrari about a year ago and the Italian manufacturer turned Santa to deliver his present.

As per Twitter, Sainz got a Ferrari 812 Competizione all customized to his liking. The 812 Competizione usually has a 6.5 liter V12, giving 819 hp with a top speed of 211 mph. While the specs of Carlos’s customized 812 are yet unknown; he has got the car painted in a lighter shade of black grey, with his nickname “Smooth Operator” at the back of the car.

via Reuters

Carlos’s teammate Charles Leclerc was also present to take a first look at the car. Looking at Leclerc’s reaction, he was certainly impressed to see Sainz’s new ride. The Monegasque who has been driving for Ferrari since 2019; also has a Ferrari 488 Pista Spider.

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Carlos is usually a laid-back type of person in terms of such luxury cars. While other drivers once showed off how they had Ferraris or Mercedes; the Smooth Operator just casually said how he has a Volkswagen Golf.

“Brother What the F*ck is This”: Carlos Sainz Flashes $540K Ferrari Possession While Teammate Charles Leclerc Looks On

Usually, F1 drivers do have a car from their current team manufacturer. Although, while Sainz has just got a brand new one from his team’s brand; his Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen has auctioned his old one.

Carlos Sainz Buys, Max Verstappen Sells – The Market of F1 drivers’ Cars

Max Verstappen, current F1 champion and also the former teammate of Carlos Sainz, auctioned his old Honda Civic Type-R recently. The car was sold off for $79,000. Verstappen had used the Honda car as his daily drive car during the 2021 F1 season.

via Reuters

All the proceeds from selling the car will be going to Wings for Life, the official charity of Red Bull Racing, which the late founder Dietrich Mateschitz founded. Max usually lives in Monaco, although used the Honda Civic in the Netherlands as a road car.

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The Civic Type-R is a hatchback and had Verstappen’s signature to make it a unique collectible piece of machinery. The signature is on the dashboard and the boot lid of the car. Max had driven the car for almost 36,000+ miles. The car has got insurance from Monaco and has all the service history.

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Meanwhile, Honda has gifted Verstappen with a Honda NSX Type S, after his 2nd world championship win this year. The Dutchman even did some hot laps with his new hybrid-powered NSX Type S at the Motegi circuit in Japan.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Ferrari to Rolls Royce, this Sporting Legend’s Extravagant Car Collection

Sainz would love to have a nice casual duel with his former teammate in their new cars. Besides their on-track battles, this might be a nice, fun challenge to test the two drivers’ speed. Let us know your thoughts on Sainz and Verstappen’s new cars.

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Written by:

Aishwary Gaonkar

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Aishwary Gaonkar is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his postgrad, he has set out to venture into the world of Sports Journalism. He is an ardent fan of F1 and has been following the most prestigious form of motor racing for over a decade now.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai