The 29-year-old Spanish driver, who came in third place in the opening race of the season in Bahrain, had to give up his spot to reserve driver Oliver Bearman at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to his recovery from surgery. Sainz will be back on the track at Albert Park, although he will not be in peak physical condition 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 aside again if his body demanded it. “If I don’t feel well tomorrow, I will be the first to admit that I need another two weeks before the next race,” he informed reporters at the Albert Park paddock on Thursday. “And I’m not someone who wants to be in pain, suffer, or make things worse. So I’m not foolish. I will be very clear about how I’m feeling and everything.”
During Sainz’s absence, Bearman achieved an impressive seventh-place finish in his F1 debut at Jeddah, earning him the title of “Driver of the Day” and garnering praise from fellow drivers. Sainz, too, was impressed by Bearman’s performance, although he found it difficult to see someone else in his car. “Well, it’s not a pleasant 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 make a swift return from appendicitis. Alex Albon also experienced it prior to the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, resulting in Nyck de Vries taking his place in the Williams car, but the Thai driver was back for the following race in Singapore. While Sainz is not concerned about his lack of simulator practice, he acknowledged that he will only discover how his body will respond to the demands of racing once he is behind the wheel. “Until you are in an F1 car and feel the forces, it’s impossible to know,” he remarked. “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 that progress, I am quite encouraged and positive,” concluded the Spanish driver.