Carlos Sainz underwent immediate surgery for appendicitis but still made an appearance in the Ferrari garage during the Saudi Arabian GP.
The race weekend brought unexpected surprises for the Ferrari Crew. Sainz fell ill with appendicitis after the initial two practice sessions and had to undergo surgery. As a result, F2 driver Bearman stepped in to replace the Spaniard for the race. The debutant was thrilled to score points in his first Formula 1 race. Therefore, team principal Vasseur shared his thoughts on Sainz’s illness and condition during the weekend.
Vasseur recalled the initial practice sessions and found it “unusual” to see the 29-year-old suffering from the illness. However, the team at Maranello initially believed it was food poisoning. As a result, Sainz faced issues during FP1 and FP2 and missed FP3, but he assured the team principal that he would be present for the qualifying session.
“It was a strange situation at the beginning of the weekend. We were convinced it was food poisoning… He called me in the morning to say he would probably miss FP3 but he would definitely be there for quali.”
The surgery was successful, and Sainz quickly recovered from the illness. He was seen at the circuit supporting Bearman in the second Ferrari seat. Vasseur confirmed that the team would now shift their focus to the upcoming Australian GP. Although the driver was still experiencing some discomfort from the surgery, the Frenchman described his recovery as “remarkable.”
“This morning [Saturday], I visited him, and he was completely fine. Yes, he is in pain and struggling to work, but his recovery has been remarkable. Now we need to concentrate on Melbourne. He needs to rest well this week, and we’ll make a decision for next week.”
The next race will take place in Melbourne after a week-long break. This gives Carlos Sainz an opportunity to recover from the surgery and illness. Vasseur mentioned that the Spaniard would travel with the team principal. The final decision regarding his participation in the race will be made when he needs to return to the continent during the race weekend.
“Now, he will fly back with me tomorrow and have a week of complete rest. We’ll decide when he needs to fly to Melbourne in a week’s time, but I’m feeling optimistic.”
The driver underwent a brief operation at the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital and was present at the Saudi Arabian GP. Therefore, it is expected that the Spaniard will have a speedy recovery before the next weekend and be able to return to earning impressive points in the 2024 season. The 29-year-old took to Instagram to provide updates about the entire surgery and his progress in healing from the condition.
Sainz expressed his delight in being back and fully healed from the surgery. Additionally, the driver made a humorous comment about the procedure, referring to it as a ‘seamless operation’. Subsequently, the 29-year-old expressed gratitude towards the hospital staff for their hard work in getting him in decent shape before the race weekend.
As a result, the driver is likely to completely recover from the illness and make a triumphant comeback at the Australian GP. Due to this setback, Sainz missed out on valuable points in the drivers’ standings and will need to score significant points to keep up with his teammate’s challenge. The Spaniard has his final opportunity to race for Maranello and will need to find a new team following Ferrari’s arrival in 2025.