Maranello [Italy], March 20 : Ferrari on Wednesday offered an update on Carlos Sainz's health ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, after the Spaniard had to skip the last race in Jeddah.
Sainz withdrew from the F1 weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis, which prompted him to undergo surgery on March 8.
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Ollie Bearman, an 18-year-old Ferrari reserve driver, took his place and caused a sensation with his assured stand-in performance to finish seventh in the race.
However, before the Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari stated that Sainz was expected to return to the cockpit of the SF-24 around the Albert Park Circuit, with Bearman remaining on standby as a backup driver, in addition to his Formula 2 commitments with PREMA racing in Melbourne this weekend.
"Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis," the team wrote in a pre-race statement as quoted by Formula 1.
"He and teammate Charles Leclerc will most likely be fighting at the front of the field, as they have done in the first two rounds," it further read.
Meanwhile, Team Principal Fred Vasseur predicted that Ferrari would be the "front runner" at the Australian circuit. While Red Bull has maintained their 2023 domination, with Max Verstappen driving Sergio Perez to a one-two finish in each of the initial races, Ferrari has had the second-best vehicle.
"The Albert Park track is a favourite with the drivers and one where Ferrari has always enjoyed a lot of support. We expect to be front runners on this track which could produce a similar pecking order to the one seen in Jeddah," said Vasseur.
"We intend adopting an aggressive approach with the aim of putting pressure on the team [Red Bull] that's won the first two races," he added.
Following a few races in the Middle East to begin the 2024 season, the Formula One paddock travels to Oceania for the Australian Grand Prix. This week's activity at Albert Park begins with FP1 and FP2 on Friday in preparation for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, followed by the Grand Prix itself on March 24.
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