F1 News: Carlos Sainz Speaks Out On Recovery Ahead Of Australian Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz remains hopeful for his return to the Australian Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz has declared his intent to re-enter the F1 arena at the Australian Grand Prix following an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago. Despite his absence from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to the surgery, the Ferrari driver is optimistic about his participation in the upcoming race.

Key Takeaways:

• Carlos Sainz is poised to make a comeback in F1 at the Australian Grand Prix after recuperating from an emergency appendectomy.
• The Ferrari driver had to skip the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis but is now prepared to return to the track.
• Sainz's readiness for the race weekend will be determined after the practice sessions.

Ferrari Press Image

Carlos Sainz is gearing up for a remarkable return to Formula 1 racing this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, following a fortnight's recovery from an unexpected surgery to remove his appendix. The 29-year-old Ferrari driver, who was forced to miss the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia, is approaching his comeback with caution and a clear sense of his physical limits.

Despite the disruption in his regular training schedule and absence from simulator sessions, Sainz is hopeful about his capacity to compete. He emphasised the importance of assessing his fitness after Friday's practice sessions to ascertain his readiness for the qualifying rounds and the Sunday race. He commented, as quoted by ESPN:

"Just by seeing me move and the exercises that I'm doing in the gym, this tells me I'm fit to jump into the car tomorrow and try.

"But obviously, I'm not stupid, and if I don't feel good tomorrow, I will be the first one to raise my hand and say that I need another two weeks to the next race [in Japan].

"This, together with the FIA, is also the plan that we have in place. I have another check with the FIA tomorrow. They are monitoring my progress.

"I'm the first one that doesn't want to be in pain or to suffer, to make it any worse. I'm not stupid, and I will be very clear with how I'm feeling and everything."

Ferrari Press Image

The rapid progress in medical technology has significantly contributed to Sainz's swift recovery. He praised the advancements in surgical techniques, particularly laparoscopy, which facilitated a quicker healing process compared to traditional methods.

"It's possible [to drive this weekend] thanks to the advances that the medicine has done in the last 20-30 years. When my dad had the operation, 30 or 40 years ago, they cut you open, nowadays here with laparoscopy, they do three very little holes, that speeds up the recovery, twice or three times as fast as what it used to be.

"So thanks to that is why the doctors after the operation said it's obviously going to be tight -- it's 14 days from the operation until I jump in the car on Friday -- but possible.

"Will I be at 100%? For sure not. It's not a lie, 100% would mean spending 10 days training, doing simulator, I haven't done that over the last 10 days, I've just been focused on recovering.

"But will I be fit to race? The feeling right now is yes and see how I feel tomorrow, and that's tomorrow."

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