MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Hard work pays off and life is sometimes crazy, according to Carlos Sainz, who emerged victorious at the Australian Grand Prix only two weeks after undergoing surgery for his appendix.
Sainz, who was forced to skip the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix while recuperating from the medical procedure, made a triumphant return at Albert Park by claiming his third Formula One race win in a one-two finish with his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc.
Despite spending a significant portion of his recovery period bedridden, Sainz demonstrated his resilience by securing a second-place grid position next to Max Verstappen during Saturday’s qualifying session.
Verstappen encountered issues with his brakes during the race, allowing Sainz to overtake him on the third lap and maintain the lead against Leclerc until a late-race incident involving George Russell necessitated a virtual safety car deployment that sealed the victory for the Spaniard.
The win held special significance for Sainz, as he had been informed earlier in the year that his race seat would be taken by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
“What happened at the beginning of the year, then the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix, the comeback, the win. It’s a rollercoaster, but I loved it. I’m extremely happy,” Sainz expressed to reporters.
“Very proud of the team, happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that the hard work pays off. Life, sometimes it’s crazy.”
In light of the uncertainty surrounding his F1 future, Sainz asserted that the victory would undeniably bolster his prospects of securing another racing opportunity.
“For sure it does no harm, that is 100% (sure),” he affirmed. “I am still without a job for next year. Everyone more or less knows what I’m capable of doing. I don’t race to prove to team principals my value. I race for myself … That’s the mentality and approach I have and will continue to.”
By clinching the fastest lap at Albert Park, Leclerc contributed to Ferrari’s maximum points haul from the race, positioning the team just four points behind Red Bull in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championship standings.
Reflecting on Ferrari’s newfound competitiveness, Leclerc emphasized the need for sustained improvement to challenge Red Bull consistently.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” he acknowledged. “Whenever we have the opportunity to actually win a race, we need to take it and this weekend we did it, Carlos did it today. So we need to do that until we get the car consistently better than the Red Bull, especially in the race.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
