After an appendicitis scare, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will evaluate his fitness following Friday’s practice sessions, eyeing a competitive return at the Australian Grand Prix.
Sainz was sidelined in Saudi Arabia following an appendicitis diagnosis on the morning of qualifying. Ferrari reserve driver, 18-year-old Ollie Bearman, stepped in for Sainz, finishing the race in seventh place.
Having fully focused on his recovery, Sainz arrived in Australia, foregoing his usual training and simulator sessions, with Ferrari having Bearman – already on-site for a Formula 2 race – on standby once again.
“I’m confident that I can get in the car tomorrow and perform well,” Sainz stated today in Melbourne.
“Obviously, I’ve implemented a very strong recovery plan since I got back home to be ready for this race. I’ll get in the car tomorrow, see how I feel, but I’m positive about it.”
“Will I be at 100%? Definitely not. Being 100% would mean spending 10 days training, doing simulator work, which I haven’t done these past 10 days; I’ve just focused on recovery.”
“But will I be fit to race? My feeling right now is ‘yes,’ but we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
Sainz says he will not need any external influence to determine whether he can participate in the weekend’s full activities.
“First off, just seeing how I move and the exercises I do at the gym or whatever, tells me I’m fit to jump in the car tomorrow and give it a try.”
“But obviously, I’m not foolish, and if I don’t feel good tomorrow, I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say I need another two weeks before the next race. That’s also the plan we’ve set up with the FIA.”
“I have another check-up with the FIA tomorrow. They’re monitoring my progress. I’m the first who doesn’t want to push and make things worse. I’m not foolish and will be very clear about how I feel and everything.”
Sainz to Test Recovery in Australian GP Practices Sainz to Test Recovery in Australian GP Practices
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