Ferrari star Carlos Sainz is set to return to Formula 1 action this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix after the Spaniard was forced to miss the previous race in Saudi Arabia.
Having completed FP1 and FP2 in Jeddah, Ferrari initially announced that the Spaniard was struggling with illness.
It later emerged through an official team statement on March 8 that the 29-year-old would not be able to compete for the rest of the weekend’s action due to an appendicitis diagnosis that required surgery.
It came as a major blow for the Scuderia who had the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023 on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
Here’s the latest on Sainz’s road to recovery after his injury.
Will Carlos Sainz drive at the Australian Grand Prix?
Ferrari have confirmed that Sainz is expected back behind the wheel of his Ferrari this weekend in Melbourne.
“Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis,” the team said in an official statement.
“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.”
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What race did Carlos Sainz miss for Ferrari?
Sainz could not take part in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, missing out on FP3, qualifying and the race itself.
Who replaced him?
Oliver Bearman, the 18-year-old British rookie, was called up from his role as a reserve driver at late notice for the remainder of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend.
The teenager had only been behind the wheel of an F1 car in an official capacity on two occasions. Bearman took part in practice sessions for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi last season.
Yet the Brit took the grid by storm as he secured points for the team in his first ever race, finishing ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
What time is the Australian Grand Prix?
The race gets under way on Sunday, March 24 at 4am GMT, 12am ET and 9pm PT (Saturday, March, 23).
You can find out more about this weekend’s race right here.
2024 F1 Drivers’ Standings
| Position | Driver | Team | Wins | Points |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2 | 51 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 0 | 36 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 0 | 28 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 0 | 16 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 0 | 15 |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 0 | 12 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Ferrari | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Alex Albon | Williams | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 0 | 0 |
2024 F1 Constructors’ Standings
| Position | Team | Wins | Points |
| 1 | Red Bull | 2 | 87 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 0 | 49 |
| 3 | McLaren | 0 | 28 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 0 | 26 |
| 5 | Aston Martin | 0 | 13 |
| 6 | Haas | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Williams | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Sauber | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | RB | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Alpine | 0 | 0 |