Ferrari’s Sainz on fairytale win in Melbourne: Life is a rollercoaster

MELBOURNE, Australia — As he boarded his flight to Melbourne nine days ago, Carlos Sainz doubted he would be fit enough to compete in the Australian Grand Prix, let alone win it.

Sainz scored a memorable victory on Sunday, just over two weeks after surgery for appendicitis. The Ferrari driver overtook championship leader Max Verstappen on lap four, as the Red Bull suffered a brake problem and failed to finish.

As he took the checkered flag, Sainz told the team radio: “It's incredible, life is a roller coaster.”

The Ferrari driver made the trip to the West Indies without being completely sure of being able to participate in the event.

“I was still in bed, I could barely use my abs to move. And I was like, 'This isn't going to happen,'” Sainz said of his condition before the trip.

“But I took the plane and suddenly, when I landed in Australia, the sensations were much better. And every 24 hours, I was making much more progress than the first seven days, which is what they say by the way All the doctors and all the professional people have told me that.

Sainz was only cleared to race on Friday, after completing testing sessions at the Albert Park circuit.

No stone was left unturned between races in his comeback plan.

“The reason athletes recover faster is because you can dedicate your 24 hours a day for seven days to recovery. And that's exactly what I did. I started going to hyperbaric chambers twice a day for an hour, taking an Indiba machine which is electromagnetic. for wounds.

“I would schedule my time in bed, my time for a walk, my time to eat, what kind of food to eat to recover. It's all focused on recovery to try to be ready for Australia.”

The victory caps a remarkable year for Sainz, who is still seeking a seat for 2025 after being replaced for next season by Lewis Hamilton.

Sainz said the victory was doubly special for that reason.

It's not just the last two weeks, you know, it's the whole start of the year in general, how the year started with the news of the non-renewal [of his contract]. Then you get in shape, get ready for the start of the season, pushing hard.

“And then you arrive in Bahrain, you have a good podium, you say, OK, now the season is starting well and I can continue my momentum. And suddenly, boom, missing a race in Jeddah and the operation, long, long days in bed, not knowing if I was going to come back in time.

“And obviously there are a lot of unknowns. Am I going to be back fit? Am I going to come back still feeling good with the car? And then all of a sudden you come back and win. So yeah, what I said on the radio, you know, life is a roller coaster sometimes, but sometimes it can be really enjoyable and good for you.”

He added: “[I’m] just let it sink in and enjoy the moment. »