Formula 1’s Carlos Sainz has criticized the sport’s testing program, labeling it as “ridiculously little” in comparison to the ‘unlimited’ spending on simulation runs. Sainz, who recently clocked the fastest overall time during pre-season testing in Bahrain, believes that additional testing days would significantly benefit all drivers, especially the newcomers.
Sainz, the new Williams driver, completed 194 laps of the Bahrain circuit during pre-season testing. Despite his impressive performance, he expressed his concern over the limited preparation time drivers receive before the kick-off of the season. The Formula 1 driver expressed his sentiments after driving for a full second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain before handing over the FW47 to Alex Albon for the final day.
The Spaniard admitted to a strange sensation knowing he had limited time to familiarize himself with his new team’s car before having to race in just two weeks. He shared his thoughts with media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, stating, “It feels very little — ridiculously little — the amount of time that we get into our cars before going to a race.”
The testing time in Formula 1 has seen a steady reduction over the years. However, there are plans to increase it to three separate three-day tests in 2026 to accommodate the sport’s massive regulation changes. Despite this exception, Sainz claims that more testing should be incorporated into each season.
Sainz offered a solution to the testing issue, suggesting it could be included in the budget cap. He emphasized that despite the significant spending on simulator training in Formula 1, it could not replace the experience gained from actual track time.
Speaking about the expanded rookie class of the 2025 season, Sainz expressed sympathy for their frustration over limited testing. He added, “I understand how difficult that makes things and how tricky the start of the season will be for some of these guys.”
Sainz also pointed out the irony of teams spending an enormous amount of money on simulators while limiting testing days to three. He proposed a shift in this spending, suggesting an increase in testing days to eight or ten, allowing teams to decide where they want to invest their money.
The Formula 1 driver made it clear that he believes real testing to be superior to simulator runs, stating, “even though the simulators are good, they are not as good as some of the engineers or people tend to believe they are.”
Sainz concluded by expressing his preference for real testing over simulator runs, not just for himself, but for all drivers in the sport.
