Frederic Vasseur ‘Confidently’ Declares Carlos Sainz Fit for Australian GP as Charles Leclerc Aims for Pole

The tides seem to be turning for Ferrari, at least for the Australian GP. Their SF24 looks like a beast compared to Red Bull around the Albert Park circuit. Charles Leclerc topped the FP2 charts, going nearly 4 tenths quicker than Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz, despite not being 100% fit owing to his appendicitis surgery, finished in P3 but still felt ‘tired’ after the sessions.

However, there seems to be no worry in the Ferrari Garage. The Spaniard who has taken his seat back from rookie Oliver Bearman wasn’t fazed by the after-effects of the surgery. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, too, seemed confident that Sainz will see the weekend through.

“I would say, so far so good,” Vasseur told the media, as quoted by fia.com. “He was a little bit on the back foot the first couple of laps and then step by step he came back pretty well. I think he’s optimistic for the rest of the weekend.”

When asked if the Spaniard felt any pain, Vasseur replied, “So far, no. If he had the pain, it would have been a big issue. So far, all okay and it’s under control. Yeah, I’m not a doctor at all, but I’m confident.” After FP2, Sainz also reaffirmed his Team Principal’s stance. Though he felt “a bit tired”, he was “very happy” for the quick recovery in 10 days.

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With his health looking up and Ferrari’s hopes too, both Ferrari drivers are confident of fighting for pole position against Max Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz hopes to challenge Charles Leclerc for pole in Melbourne

After topping FP2, Charles Leclerc said that this was the Maranello outfit’s ‘best shot’ for a Qualifying pole. Though he does expect “some surprises” from his rivals tomorrow, the SF24’s improved race pace reinstated his confidence. His teammate was on the same page as him.

“I think, particularly Charles looked very quick today,” Sainz told F1.com. “On my side obviously I took it step by step and kept into a bit of a rhythm, not at the limit of the car and not at the limit of myself yet. But I think with more laps and getting a bit more confident with how everything feels inside, I think I’ll be faster tomorrow and hopefully battle for that pole position. Because I think it’s going to be tight.”

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When was the last time you heard both Ferrari drivers sounding this confident to leave behind the diplomatic answers of the ‘we’ll have to wait and see how our rivals do’.