- The Spanish star stormed to victory in Melbourne on Sunday
- Came just days after he had surgery to remove the appendix
- He has been working with Rebecca Donaldson since last year
Ferrari CEO Carlos Sainz Jr has endured a rollercoaster start to 2024 when the team replaced him and he needed surgery just before winning the Australian Grand Prix – but his model girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson has been by his side throughout this process.
The Spaniard led teammate Charles Leclerc home for a one-two for the Italian team in Melbourne on Sunday.
Remarkably, he did this just two weeks after missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to surgery to remove his appendix, forcing him to take drastic measures to get fit for the race at Albert Park .
Donaldson was first romantically linked to Sainz when they were spotted in Italy in June 2023, as the pair stepped in front of the cameras at last year’s Las Vegas GP (pictured)
They were involved in a rare public display of affection at the Mexican GP last October (pictured)
The 28-year-old Scottish model was on the cover of Vogue and Marie Claire
And if that wasn’t enough, Ferrari announced on February 2 that his place will be taken next year by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
That capped an up-and-down few months for the 29-year-old as he struggled with an uncompetitive car last season but still managed to become the only driver to beat Max Verstappen in 2023.
And even better, he also started his relationship with Donaldson, with the pair first becoming an item last June.
The 28-year-old Scottish model may not have made the trip down to see him win, but she has been spotted at races with her boyfriend, including at last year’s Las Vegas GP where he came incredibly close to victory.
Donaldson has appeared on the covers of luxury fashion magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire since winning a beauty pageant at the age of 17, when she was a student at the prestigious Perth Academy and dreamed of breaking into the fashion industry.
In addition to modeling on the catwalk at shows like Madrid Fashion Week, Donaldson founded her own activewear label
She was casually dating Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Scott Disick in 2022
“My mom came to see me and I was really surprised when I found out,” she said at the time.
‘I’m really excited to have won and am really looking forward to taking part in the Top Model UK competition.’
Donaldson was first linked to Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and Kourtney Kardashian’s ex Scott Disick when the pair attended the premiere of a new series of the show in 2022.
They dated for two months before breaking up in June that year.
She founded the activewear fashion label Muse in 2020 during the pandemic, explaining: “I knew I wanted to create something that I would not only wear and be proud to highlight my name, but also something that would reach the market was missing.’
Donaldson was not in Melbourne to watch her husband win the Australian Grand Prix
However, she did join him in Bahrain for the opening race of the 2024 season (photo)
Donaldson and Sainz were first spotted together in Milan in June last year, after which fans started thinking they were an item when they appeared on a golf course in Amsterdam in late August.
One of Sainz’s sisters started following her on Instagram, fueling speculation of a romance, before Donaldson took to the catwalk at Madrid Fashion Week last month in front of members of the driver’s family.
Although the couple hasn’t posted any photos of them together on their social media, they do regularly comment on each other’s posts.
After missing the race in Melbourne, Donaldson’s next chance to support her husband as he fights for another win – and a new contract for 2025 – will come at the Japanese Grand Prix on April 7.