Carlos Sainz questions how F1 testing is organised

Now also serving as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), Sainz has called the current system inadequate, particularly for drivers switching teams and rookies entering the sport.

Having had just 1.5 days of testing in Bahrain with his new car, Sainz has questioned the emphasis on simulator hours over actual track time.

He believes that while teams rely heavily on simulators – sometimes running them mid-race weekend with live data – real-world testing is far more valuable.

Sainz also expressed concern over the six rookies making their full-season debut in Melbourne, stating that limited testing could hinder their development.

He pointed to the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rules, which allow teams to run older machinery but with mileage restrictions, as a partial solution.

“It feels weird that I got a day and a half and now I need to go racing,” Sainz said, quoted by RaceFans.

“It feels not enough, it feels very little. Ridiculously little, the amount of time that we get into our cars before going to a race.

“I’m just obviously wishing them all the best and understanding a bit their frustration with testing because even though I’m obviously no rookie, that day-and-a-half of testing I think is frustrating for me too but I cannot imagine [how it is] for a rookie,

“I understand how difficult that makes things and how tricky the start of the season will be for some of these guys.

“I think F1, if I’m honest, could make a bit of an effort in trying to do a better job in how we go testing.

“You have a lot of teams spending infinite amounts of money in simulators, to have drivers flying to the UK from Monaco to go to the simulator, and I don’t understand why we get three days of testing when all that money could be invested into – I don’t know – eight days of testing.”

With the debate over testing continuing, Sainz’s push for change could spark discussions within F1’s governing bodies.