Ferrari grant Sainz early release before his contract expires

Ferrari have agreed to an early release for Carlos Sainz which means that the Spaniard will be able to test his new team Williams' FW46 during the post-season Abu Dhabi Pirelli tyre test.

After Ferrari announced in February that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz from 2025, the Spaniard had been linked to several outfits.

However, Williams and Sainz ended the speculation in early August when the Grove-based outfit confirmed that the now four-time F1 race winner will join the British squad on a two-year agreement with options to extend.

In his Formula 1 career to date, the 30-year-old Spaniard has achieved four race victories, 25 podiums, over 1,100 career points and is currently sitting fifth in this season’s Drivers’ Championship.

Although teams usually refuse to grant a driver an early exit as they do not want to provide their rivals with any competitive advantage, Ferrari have seemingly agreed to an early release which will enable Sainz to test Williams' current car during the post-season tyre test in Abu Dhabi.

The Grove-based outfit noted: "Williams Racing is pleased to announce today that Carlos Sainz will join the team for the upcoming Abu Dhabi end-of-season test, marking the first steps in his preparations for the 2025 season. This early opportunity will allow both Carlos and Williams to begin building their relationship.

"The test session will provide a valuable chance for Carlos to begin integrating into his new team environment, and he will drive the FW46 for the first time. Carlos will drive for Williams alongside Alex Albon in 2025, forming one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid."