The Spaniard moved from rival McLaren to Ferrari on an initial two-year deal until the end of the 2022 season and quickly got used to life in Maranello.
Sainz took four podiums in his first season with Ferrari and secured fifth place in the championship, five and a half points ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
At Ferrari’s traditional pre-Christmas press conference, team boss Mattia Binotto confirmed that he hopes to negotiate an extended deal with Sainz before the start of the 2022 season.
“We will discuss the extension of his contact with Carlos over the winter time,” said Binotto. “He did a really good job during the season. I’m very happy with his integration and his performance on the track.”
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A two-year extension would reflect Leclerc’s contract, which is currently tied to Ferrari until the end of 2024.
Ferrari has a number of juniors vying for a possible future seat, including Mick Schumacher, who will combine his full-time stint at Haas in 2022 with a shared role as Ferrari’s official reserve driver.
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When asked about the possible length of a new contract for Sainz, Binotto said: “I think it will depend on the talks.
“I would like to sit down with him. I haven’t started the discussion with him yet, nor do I know what he’s up to. So there is still no answer to that.
“First I want to understand how happy he is. You can review the season with him and look to the future together. It will no doubt be a simple and easy discussion, but we have no answer for you. ”
Binotto added that he was “very happy” with Leclerc’s performance this season.
The Monegasque achieved consecutive pole positions in Monaco and Baku and played a key role in ensuring that Ferrari McLaren beat third place in the constructors’ championship.
“He was very quick in qualifying, even in the last part of the year when Carlos challenged him a little more – but he was always very quick,” said Binotto.
“We shouldn’t forget this season, at least some examples, like Budapest and Monaco when he didn’t score. I think he had bad luck as a driver on these occasions and without that it’s hard to say where he would have crossed the finish line – but at least 40 points [is] is absent in its classification.
“Without that, in my opinion, he would have been much further up in the championship, which is why I can only judge his season very positively. He has learned how to handle his tires, how to deal with racing situations and racing pace, so very happy with the progress he has made. ”
