Asked how close a new contract was after helping Ferrari to secure a one-two finish at 𓂃the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz replied: “I think we ar💟e close. Very close. Very, very close. Extremely close. Nearly there.”

Ferrari team princip🀅al Mattia Binotto confirmed the deal has already b🌸een verbally agreed. 

“I think we found an agreement,” he added. “It’s only a matter to translatꦺe it into paper.”

Sainz joine♛d Ferrari from 💫McLaren for the 2021 season on a two-year contract, which is due to expire at the end of the current campaign. 

Talks over an extension for Sain﷽z have been taking place t🌊hroughout the winter and it now appears ready to be formally signed off. 

The Spaniard took 🍰second place behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the season-opener iಞn Bahrain, scoring his fifth podium finish for Ferrari. 

Sainz, who finished ahead of Leclerc in the championship during his first season at the Maranello-bas🦋ꦜed team, admitted he had a difficult weekend in Bahrain.  

“For me it’s been a very tricky weekend, I'm not going to lie,” Sainz said after Sun♉day’s race. 

“I diꦐdn't have the pace today. But I managed to holꦬd in there and bring the one-two for the team. 

"I have some h♈omework to do over these next few days and I'm sure I will come back stronger.”

But Sainz was delighted by Ferrari’s resurgent start to F1’s new era and declared t🌳he Italian outfit is “properly back” and ready to challenge for world titlꦜes again. 

“I'm particularly happy for the whole𓆏 team,” he 🉐said. 

“It's massive, you know, after twওo difficult years to be back and be on a one-two, it shows that all the hard work has just paid off and that we are back in the fight, back to where Ferrari sho🅷uld be.

“Congratulations to Charles because I think he drove a really goo♐d race. And he's been on it the whole we🦹ekend. 

“So to bring home this one-two means a lot to all of us and to all the tifosi and for sure today, we need to ce🔯lebrate becausℱe it’s a huge day.”