The 29-year-old Spanish driver, who finished third in the season-opening race in Bahrain, had to give up his seat to reserve driver Oliver Bearman at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to his recovery from surgery. Sainz will be back on track at Albert Park, although he is not in full physical form and has not had the opportunity to train in the team’s simulator in Maranello. Despite his confidence in being able to compete throughout the race weekend, he stated that he would not hesitate to step away again if his body demanded it. “If I don’t feel well tomorrow, I will be the first to admit that I need two more weeks before the next race,” he informed reporters in the Albert Park paddock on Thursday. “And I’m not someone who wants to feel pain, suffer, or make things worse. So I’m not foolish. I will be very clear about how I’m feeling and everything else.”
During Sainz’s absence, Bearman secured an impressive seventh place in his F1 debut in Jeddah, earning him the “Driver of the Day” title and praise from other drivers. Sainz, too, was impressed by Bearman’s performance, although it was difficult for him to see someone else in his car. “Well, it’s not a nice feeling, obviously, not being able to race, especially after such a strong start to the season, seeing how competitive the car was again in Jeddah, and calculating how many points you lost due to the surgery,” he expressed.
Sainz is not the first driver to quickly return from appendicitis. Alex Albon also went through this before the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, resulting in Nyck de Vries taking his place in the Williams car, but the Thai driver returned for the following race in Singapore. Although Sainz is not worried about the lack of practice in the simulator, he acknowledged that he will only find out how his body will respond to the demands of the race when he is behind the wheel. “Until you are in an F1 car and feel the forces, it is impossible to know,” he commented. “What I do know is that today I am much better than yesterday, and yesterday I was much better than two days ago. So, with this progress, I am quite encouraged and positive,” concluded the Spanish driver.
