Sainz explains 'Smooth Operator' running joke

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.

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