Formula 1's Carlos Sainz Shares Health Update After Appendix Surgery, Reveals If He'll Race In Australian Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz is updating fans on his health after having surgery two weeks ago in Jeddah.
The 29-year-old F1 driver was not feeling well and ended up in the hospital undergoing an operation for appendicitis, forcing him to skip out on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman stepped in to drive in his place, making his Formula 1 debut and landing the team points as he ended in seventh place.
Ahead of the Australian Grande Prix, Carlos shared how he’s doing and if he will be back in the driver’s seat this weekend.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I’ll let you know tomorrow when I get back in the car and the G-forces throw me around a bit,” he told press on Wednesday (March 20) ahead of the practice sessions.
“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,” Carlos continued. “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.”
While he may not be 100% recovered, he certainly has his eyes set on applying pressure to Red Bull, just as he and teammate Charles Leclerc have done in the first two races of the season.
“I’ll try for sure,” Carlos said. “It’s not like I’ll be 100 per cent for it because obviously I’ve been 10 days in bed – not 10 days training and going to the simulator and preparing for a normal weekend. But, if I’m fit to race and I don’t have any pain or any bad symptoms, I can still put together a strong weekend and the target will be to challenge the Red Bull.”
Carlos came in third place in the first race in Bahrain, while Charles took third in Saudi Arabia, as both drivers landed in podium finishes just behind both Red Bull drivers, returning champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
In case you missed it, this will be Carlos‘ last season with Ferrari as Lewis Hamilton will be coming in and taking his seat on the team.
Find out all of the Formula 1 drivers’ whose contracts are up at the end of the 2024 season!