Carlos Sainz reveals BIZARRE F1 lucky mascot he's used for nearly a decade

Carlos Sainz

Sainz reveals BIZARRE F1 lucky mascot he's used for nearly a decade

Carlos Sainz has a rather unusual lucky mascot that he uses at F1 race weekends

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Monday 31 July 2023 11:42

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Carlos Sainz has revealed that he uses a rubber duck as the 'thermometer' for his ice baths before he takes part in a race, a ritual that he has been using for nearly a decade.

Superstitions and lucky charms in Formula 1 is nothing new. Multiple drivers have their particular routines – including the veteran Fernando Alonso, who has been taking part in a rather peculiar pre-race regime for 20 years.

Yet it turns out that Sainz too has his own bizarre good luck method. In one of his recent Instagram posts, fans spotted Sainz alongside a rubber duck while in a pre-race plunge tank.

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A post shared by Carlos Sainz (@carlossainz55)

Sainz's good luck charm

And after being shown the picture of himself in the ice bath with his rubber duck on a big screen in front of adoring fans, the Spaniard explained the curious reason behind its use.

“Yes [I take it everywhere],” he said. “It is the thermometer of the pool! I need to take it to make sure the temperature of the freezing cold water [is correct] that my trainer gets me into before hot races.

“But honestly that duck, I’ve always used a little duck just for fun, I don’t know why. Since then it has been nine years and we always have a duck in the cold plunge.

“[It is] a bit of a good luck, lucky charm and why not [have it in the ice bath] – a good 55 duck!”

Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave Matt the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - he hasn't looked back. Matt has found a home here at GPFans where he can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as he is about the best sport in the world.

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