Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Jr. quietly broke an unfortunate record

Carlos Sainz Jr. quietly broke an unfortunate record during a chaotic Formula 1 race weekend at Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Flying well under the radar throughout the first-ever Formula 1 race weekend at Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was the performance of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.

Sainz, despite a disappointing qualifying session that left him 15th on the grid ahead of Sunday’s 50-lap race around the 27-turn, 3.837-mile (6.175-kilometer) temporary street circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, managed to climb seven places by the time the checkered flag flew, even with overtaking proving to be a challenge.

His eighth place finish marked his 14th consecutive points finish going back to the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in late June, best in Formula 1.

His most recent finish outside of the top 10 came one week earlier in the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.

The next closest driver to Sainz on this list of consecutive points finishes is former teammate Lando Norris of McLaren, who has reeled off nine in a row.

But despite all of Sainz’s success, which also includes the fact that his worst finish of the year (11th place) is the best worst finish among all drivers, he is still without a win in 139 career starts.

He recorded a career-high finish of second place in last year’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza when he was still with McLaren, and he matched that finish in this year’s Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco.

And he now holds the unwanted record of having the most points in Formula 1 history without a race win.

With the four points he scored in Sunday’s race, his 2021 season point total is up to 149.5, and his career total (2015 to present) is up to 521.5.

Prior to Sunday’s race, this record had belonged to Nico Hulkenberg, who scored 521 points in 179 starts from 2010 to 2020. Hulkenberg, however, never recorded a podium finish (Sainz has five in total), so he still holds the record for most races without a podium finish.

Naturally, Hulkenberg still holds the record for most points without a podium finish as well.

With one race remaining on the 2021 Formula 1 schedule, Sainz sits in seventh place in the driver standings, and he can ascend as high as fifth in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit this Sunday, December 12. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 7:55 a.m. ET. Start your free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss any of the action!