The Madrid-born rally driver, Carlos Sainz, was awarded this Tuesday with the 2020 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, which is awarded annually by the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

After so many years, it was necessary to give Sainz its due as the only Spaniard World Rally Champion (1990 & 1992) and one of the most important in the History of the specialty, and the first Spanish winner in the Dakar car class (2010, 2018, 2020).

Not surprisingly, ‘El Matador’ treasures a successful career with more than three decades at the top of sports racing, where he set records such as his victory in the 1990 Rally of Finland, when no non-Nordic racer had achieved it.

Returning to the present, and counting on this impressive record, it is natural that Carlos Sainz, the 58-year-old from Madrid, has accumulated the highest number of votes in a group of 17 candidates of ten nationalities, with rivals as successful as MotoGP rider Marc Márquez.

Muy orgulloso y contento por recibir el Premio Princesa de Asturias!!! Muchísimas gracias a todos y especialmente a @fpa pic.twitter.com/6iJpt6JV4V

— Carlos Sainz (@CSainz_oficial) June 16, 2020

Everything indicated that this well deserved distinction would end up falling on Carlos Sainz, whose candidacy had been supported by national sports stars and winners of the then-named Prince of Asturias Award for Sports such as Rafa Nadal (2008), Íker Casillas (2012) or Pau Gasol ( 2015).

Currently he continues to compete, which combines with advising young Spanish promises of rallies. He also collaborates with the Spanish Automobile Federation program, lending his experience. In short, a champion in and out of racing cars.

Images of Carlos Sainz: Carlos Sainz Twitter.