Carlos Sainz showed where his loyalties lie when it comes to El Clasico.

Barcelona and Real Madrid play each other in a highly-anticipated LaLiga showdown, with the two vying for supremacy.

GettyReal Madrid fan Sainz is gearing himself up for Saturday’s El Clasico before taking to the track for the Mexican GP on Sunday[/caption]

It’s one of the more bitter rivalries in football and Ferrari driver Sainz, a passionate Real fan, has never been afraid to show where his loyalties lie.

In 2022, the F1 driver was approached by a fan holding a Barcelona shirt and a pen hoping to get a signature. The Spaniard quickly spotted the shirt before replying: “I’m not signing this”.

The fan responded: “Forca Barca,” before Sainz hit back with, “Let’s go Ferrari!” Fans were left in stitches as Sainz wheeled away.

Sainz has a deep affiliation with Real Madrid that runs through his family.

His father, Carlos Sr, was made an honorary member by the club in recognition of his rallying career.

In the past, he has been photographed on many occasions wearing team apparel and has also appeared in numerous videos on the club’s social media channels.

Real Madrid head into Saturday’s glamour clash three-points adrift of the Catalans.

A win for Madrid is unlikely to be enough to dislodge Hansi Flick’s free-scoring leaders from top spot thanks to their superior goal difference.

Both sides come into the clash on the back of midweek Champions League victories against German opposition.

Madrid came from behind to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 on Tuesday while Barcelona comfortably saw off Bayern Munich 4-1.

@forsainzSainz was left less than impressed by one fan’s attempt to have his Barcelona shirt signed[/caption]

@forsainzIt’s not the first time he’s received this kind of request[/caption]

It is much of the same in La Liga with Barcelona running rampant with nine wins from ten games – the only blemish on their record being a 4-2 reverse at Osasuna last month.

In Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona boast Europe’s deadliest striker with 15 goals across all competitions.

Meanwhile, reigning champions Real Madrid have made up ground on their bitter rivals in recent weeks having picked up 19 points from a possible 21.

Much of that has been down to the superb form of Vinicius Junior who will be hoping to add to Wednesday’s hattrick by downing Barca at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And some weekend it could be for the Brazilian who is expected to scoop the 2024 Ballon d’Or award in Paris next Monday.

Sainz will hope Vinicius Junior can continue his incredible run of form against Barcelona

Sainz, though, may not get to see the big match, which takes place on Saturday night.

He will be in Mexico preparing for the next race. He is currently fifth in the F1 standings, 139 points behind leader Max Verstappen heading into Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

He has recorded one victory this season, which came at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

Sainz was part of a Ferrari one-two at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix which saw teammate Charles Leclerc claim victory.

Despite declaring the race as a good result for Ferrari, he admitted his disappointment at not finishing first.

“First of all, I’m incredibly happy for the team and the team effort, getting a one-two and so many points for the constructors’ – I think that’s priority number one. Congratulations to Charles, obviously, for a great drive,” Sainz said.

“From my side, I feel like I’ve been very quick all weekend, I’ve been on it, I’ve been doing everything I could to win this race.

“Unfortunately, we got a bit blocked at the start, then we had a couple of issues during the first stint with the power unit.

“Even though I was very quick on the hards, and I was the first to pit, I just lost too much time at the beginning and I couldn’t get it back. But I’ll take the positives and keep fighting.”

This will be his last year with Ferrari, who have signed Lewis Hamilton for 2025.

Sainz, meanwhile, will link up with Williams in a multi-year deal. His role had been unclear following the Hamilton news but after months of speculation, he claims he has found the best spot for his future.