Sainz inspired the 'Smooth Operator' tag in 2019 when, while cruising to a second straight top-five finish at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, he began singing Sade's 1984 pop song on his radio. It was a tune he'd heard for the first time a few weekends earlier in Great Britain. Fans on social media embraced Carlos' rendition and began combining the song with YouTube videos of his highlights.
