Ferrari provide update on Carlos Sainz

Ferrari have provided an update on Carlos Sainz’s health ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, after the Spanish driver was forced to miss the previous race in Jeddah.

Sainz was withdrawn from the F1 weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the two-time race winner forced to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with appendicitis.

Ollie Bearman stepped into his place as Ferrari’s reserve driver, who caused a sensation with a P7 in the race.

However, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari confirmed that Sainz was looking likely to return to the cockpit of the SF-24 with Bearman remaining on call as reserve driver, alongside his Formula 2 duties with PREMA racing in Melbourne this weekend.

Should he not be required to step in for Sainz, Bearman will be keen to kick-start his F2 campaign, with the Brit currently on zero points after failing to score in Bahrain, before being withdrawn from the event in Jeddah.

Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, predicted that Ferrari would be “front runners” at the Australian circuit, with the team having provided the sternest challenge so far to Red Bull having been able to grab two podiums in the first two races.

Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis. 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.

The team in a pre-race statement.

I’ll let you know tomorrow when I get back in the car and the G-forces throw me around a bit. But I feel ready. I’ve done as much as possible to recover and you cannot imagine the effort and logistics that I have done to be fit for this race. Progress, I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made and now, as I said, it’s time to jump in the car and see how I feel.

Sainz on how much of a challenge it would be to get back in the car.