Carlos Sainz criticizes F1’s restricted winter testing, urging teams to disclose fuel loads to enhance transparency and engagement for fans and drivers alike.
For drivers joining a new team—which includes a significant portion of the grid—the cost is steep: winter testing allows just three days per team, meaning only a day and a half per driver. And that’s it. After that, it’s straight to the first Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Carlos Sainz, who, like Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hülkenberg, and Esteban Ocon, is switching teams this year, has voiced his frustration over the limited track time before the first race. The simulator, he argues, cannot replace everything.
“It’s strange to have to go racing after just a day and a half of testing,” complains the Williams F1 driver.
“It feels insufficient, far too little. Ridiculously little, in fact, the time we get in our cars before going racing. I haven’t been able to test as many things as I would have liked.”
“I’m leaving these tests with five or six things I wish I could have tested, things I would have liked to compare in real conditions to understand which direction to take for the rest of the season.”
“There’s just not enough time,” Sainz insists. “This rule frustrates me enormously.”
The Spaniard is calling on the FIA to give teams more flexibility: either allocate budget and time to simulator work or real track testing. A move that would mark a significant regulatory rollback and seems unlikely on paper.
“We spend days and days in the simulator. It would make sense to include that in the budget cap and let teams decide where they want to invest—either in real testing or the simulator.”
“And if it’s for environmental reasons, I find it inconsistent: we have drivers taking private jets every day to go to the simulator in England or Monaco…”
“For me, this rule makes no sense in Formula 1. When they decided to ban private testing, they invested millions in simulators instead of allowing track testing days.”
“This is my personal opinion, not the position of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association). I don’t understand the logic. Why not set a limit of 10 to 12 testing days per season and let each team use them as they wish?”
Fewer test days also mean fewer opportunities for a driver to influence the development of an F1 car.
“The reality is that, under the current rules, testing in F1 has almost disappeared. And honestly, I hate it.”
“This is precisely where an F1 team can really make progress and where a driver can play a key role in car development. Today, that’s no longer the case.”
The frustration is likely even worse for rookies on the grid. Some, like Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, have managed to accumulate mileage through Testing of Previous Cars (TPC). But these are two-year-old F1 cars, and according to Carlos Sainz, nothing can replace private testing with contemporary machinery.
“I wish them the best while understanding their frustration with the lack of testing. Because even for me, who is not a rookie, having only a day and a half of track time is frustrating. So for them, I imagine it’s even worse.”
“It’s going to make the start of the season really difficult for some. Sure, running a TPC car helps a little, but nothing replaces real-world experience with the car you’ll be driving all year in F1.”
Sainz’s idea to make winter testing more insightful
Never short on suggestions for the FIA, Carlos Sainz has another proposal: making the fuel loads used by teams in winter testing public to provide a clearer picture of the competitive hierarchy!
“I also think that every team should publicly disclose the amount of fuel onboard during testing to make it more interesting to follow on television.”
“Otherwise, why watch?”
“Everything should be displayed: fuel load, engine mode used. I have plenty of ideas to make this sport more understandable for you, the fans, and to make it more meaningful for the drivers as well. Because as it stands, there’s too much simulator time and not enough track running.”
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Sainz Demands Fuel Transparency Amid ‘Ridiculous’ Test Rules Sainz Demands Fuel Transparency Amid ‘Ridiculous’ Test Rules
