Sainz explains 'Smooth Operator' running joke
'Smoooooooth Operatooooorrr...'
Carlos Sainz has revealed the meaning behind his 'Smooth Operator' running joke through the 2019 Formula 1 season.
Sainz toasted many of his best performances of the season with a rendition of Sade's 1984 single.
While the song describes a jet-set man that has a reputation of a heartbreaker, Sainz says the description does not exactly match him.
"[It was] just a song that kept coming up on the radio of the car [at] the British Grand Prix," Sainz said.
"I just started hearing it on the radio and apparently it is quite a bit of a famous song.
"After the race [in Hungary], I sang this song, without knowing what a smooth operator was. Then people in the team started telling me what a smooth operator was.
"And then I realised, well, maybe I can attribute that to myself and start creating a bit of a joke around me.
"But I didn't sing it because I considered myself a smooth operator, because I didn't know what a smooth operator was!"
Sainz's string of smooth performances led him to a career-high sixth place in the drivers' championship, with a last-gasp overtake on Nico Hulkenberg at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helping him secure the point that snatched 'best of the rest' status away from Pierre Gasly.
And, yes, he did list the manoeuvre as a smoooooooooth operation.
Related
More F1 news
Latest F1 news
Recommended by the editors
Latest F1 News
Martin Brundle pays tribute after Sky Sports F1 presenter's departure
F1 News & Gossip
Red Bull chief 'set to leave' for rival F1 team
F1 Austrian Grand Prix
F1 Qualifying Today: Austrian Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream
F1 Austrian Grand Prix
Channel 4 F1 highlights today: How to watch the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix FREE
Races
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2026
-
Grand Prix of China 2026
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2026
-
Grand Prix of Bahrain 2026
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2026
-
Miami Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix du Canada 2026
-
Grand Prix De Monaco 2026
-
Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya 2026
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2026
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2026
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2026
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2026
-
Dutch Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2026
-
Gran Premio de España 2026
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2026
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2026
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2026
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2026
-
Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2026
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2026
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Editorial & corporate information
Avenue HQ
10–12 East Parade
Leeds
LS1 2BH
United Kingdom Regional correspondence
View contact page