Sainz: Mixed feelings on Melbourne performance

MELBOURNE, Australia — Just two weeks after undergoing surgery to have his appendix removed, Carlos Sainz said he had mixed feelings about securing second on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix.

Sainz missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after he was rushed to hospital on the morning of qualifying and diagnosed with appendicitis.

Despite limited recovery time, the Ferrari driver returned to action on Friday in Australia before qualifying just 0.270s off Max Verstappen’s pole position time on Saturday.

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“I think you can see it two ways,” he said. “If you would have told me two weeks ago when I had my appendix removed that I would be in Australia ready to go again and fighting for pole position, I would have 100% taken it.

“But after being fastest in Q1, fastest in Q2 and knowing that I left some time on the table in Q3, it’s obviously a bit disappointing.”

Sainz has been unable to train or complete his usual simulator sessions since his surgery and believes the lack of preparation meant he was unable to get the very best from his Ferrari in qualifying.

“I think it’s impossible to feel 100% after spending seven to ten days in bed just trying to recover,” he added. “But the good thing is that I had no pain, I just had discomfort and everything felt a bit weird inside, but I can push.

“I think nowadays you need to be 100% to beat Max. Today I wasn’t, and probably due to that I missed out on pole.

“If I had done a 100% good job, pole position would have been possible and if I had been 100% and done Jeddah the pole time would have been achievable the way I was driving and the way I felt in the car.

“Tomorrow I need to be the same, I need to be 100% to beat Max, I will give it my absolute everything to do it because it’s been a while since Singapore [Sainz’s last win] and he has been on the top step of the podium since, but if there is one weekend where we have a good pace, it is this one.”

Asked to describe the sensation inside his abdomen while driving, Sainz said: “It feels like it is moving more inside than normal and you need some confidence to brace the core and body as you used to before. But you get used to it.

“It’s something where there is no pain, nothing to worry about, just a weird feeling that you have to get used to while driving, especially in this circuit where you are pulling five or six G [G-force] in some of the braking and some of the corners.

“So everything is moving but without pain, so I can deal with it and adapt to it also.”