Ferrari restricts Sainz from certain meetings

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has conceded that he is not allowed to attend meetings of the Scuderia that are centred around the development of the Maranello-based outfit's next year's car.

Ferrari elected to extend Charles Leclerc's contract in January before the Scuderia made the shock announcement of having secured the services of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari's decision also meant that Carlos Sainz was left without a race seat at the Scuderia, forcing the two-time F1 race winner to find another team for 2025.

The Madrid-born driver is yet to confirm his plans, but he recently claimed that he is intent on sorting out his future soon as it takes too much energy away from driving.

However, Sainz has now revealed that he has limited meeting schedule at Ferrari, but he can understand the Scuderia’s policy as it is a standard practice when a driver is set to depart from a team.

"For sure [I'm missing from meetings]. But it is obvious now that they are not going to put me in the meetings of next year's car. If they do, they are probably not being very clever, no? Because they know I'm going to be somewhere else.

"So, yes, I'm not attending the simulator sessions of the development of the next year's car. And I'm not attending the meetings of next year's car.

"I am attending every session of the simulator of this year's car and this year's circuits. And I'm attending every meeting of this year's car and potential benefits or developments that might come to this year's car,"

"And I'm happy like that because that's how I think it should be. Or what I would do if I was team principal or whatever,” Sainz concluded.