Carlos Sainz defied the odds and his own physical limitations to secure a sensational second-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix qualifying in Melbourne. Just weeks after missing the Jeddah race due to injury, Sainz displayed remarkable resilience in his return.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Sainz admitted in a post-qualifying interview. “A lot of days in bed, waiting for this moment to see if I could be here today.”
The Spaniard’s journey back to the grid was evident in his emotions. After his first purple sector, he looked as if he could put some pressure on Max Verstappen for the pole position, but after a not-ideal third sector, the Dutchman beat him by 2 tenths. But Sainz commented on his performance in disbelief.
“To make it to this weekend, and then obviously to put it on the front row after leading through qualifying, I was almost, yeah, not believing it,” he confessed.
Despite the initial rustiness, Sainz found his rhythm quickly: “I was a bit rusty at the beginning yesterday, but then I got up to speed, and I could finally find the pace and feel good with the car.”
Looking ahead to the race, the question of his physical condition remained.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m not in my most comfortable state when I’m driving out there,” he acknowledged. However, Sainz displayed unwavering determination: “But I can get it done. And as far as I can get it done without the pain, obviously a lot of discomfort and weird feelings, but no pain, so it allows me to push flat out.”
Sainz’s P2 finish in Melbourne, achieved despite battling discomfort, sets the stage for a thrilling battle at the front of the pack. He will try to build on this performance tomorrow and challenge for the victory.