Sainz 'Expected' Back In His Seat After Ferrari Provides Update Ahead Of Australian GP

Wednesday, 20 March 2024 at 16:30

Carlos Sainz should return to the F1 grid at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix after undergoing surgery two weeks ago.

After scoring a podium during the first Grand Prix of the season, the Spanish driver was forced to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and he was replaced by the team's reserve driver, Oliver Bearman.

The reason was surgery because of appendicitis, which Sainz underwent the very same day, and on Sunday, he was already with the team in the garage, following the progress the team was able to make.

Now, ahead of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, the team provided an update on their official website, stating that the 29-year-old is expected to return in Australia, without providing an official statement.

That may suggest that the team is still unsure of Sainz's participation, even though we've seen Alex Albon deal with similar surgery in a similar amount of time in the past, so it's expected that last year's Singapore Grand Prix winner will be ready to jump into the car.

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"Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis and he and team-mate Charles Leclerc will most likely be fighting at the front of the field, as they have done in the first two rounds."

Although Sainz will want to return to his seat already in Australia, if things go wrong, there's no reason to worry for Ferrari, as the FIA Formula 2 Championship also has a round at the Albert Park Circuit.

That means that 18-year-old super talent Oliver Bearman, who substituted the Spanish driver in Saudi Arabia, will be once again ready to jump into the car, this time with experience from the previous race.

Fred Vasseur, who is the Team Principal for Ferrari, expects another strong weekend for the team, after scoring a podium in both of the first two races of the season.

"We expect to be front runners on this track which could produce a similar pecking order to the one seen in Jeddah. We intend adopting an aggressive approach with the aim of putting pressure on the team that’s won the first two races."