According to Ferrari, Sainz is expected to return in Melbourne

Carlos Sainz left the circuit at the weekend of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix as the Spaniard had to be operated. The Ferrari driver was suffering from appendicitis, and Oliver Bearman was his replacement. Ferrari believe Sainz will just get back behind the wheel of the SF-24 in Australia.

"Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis and he and team-mate Charles Leclerc will most likely be fighting at the front of the field, as they have done in the first two rounds," the team wrote. Earlier this week, the Spaniard was also spotted in Melbourne.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur looks ahead to the Australian Grand Prix. "After a busy start to the season with back-to-back races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we’ve now made the longest trip of the year to Australia. The Albert Park track is a favourite with the drivers and one where Ferrari has always enjoyed a lot of support."

"We expect to be front runners on this track which could produce a similar pecking order to the one seen in Jeddah. We intend adopting an aggressive approach with the aim of putting pressure on the team that’s won the first two races," the French team principal of the Italian team told reporters.