Operated in Jeddah, winner in Melbourne: Carlos Sainz, an express convalescence

It's a story like Formula 1 loves them, made of karma, of immanent justice, of the fair return of things. It is an improbable story of recovery where the hero wards off fate and transcends the hazards of life. It's a story that the best writers of the series drive to survive could have invented without worrying too much about plausibility. Truly, what chances did Carlos Sainz to climb to the top of the podium when arriving in Melbourne?

Few, if any, without his piloting skills being called into question. However, after an appendicitis operation two weeks earlier, during the weekend in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), it was simply difficult to imagine that he could perform at his best level. Certainly, he had benefited from the best advice from the medical world, the best support from those around him, and the best possible physical preparation given the circumstances, but the mission still seemed delicate.

Already, being there, at the controls of your Ferrari, was an achievement in itself, so hoping to compete with your teammate Charles Leclerc or tease Max Verstappen was science fiction. On the side of the Team, we preferred to leave the Spaniard the sole judge of his ability to do his job. No pressure from Frédéric Vasseur (boss of the reds) in one direction or another, Carlos could take the wheel again or entrust it for one more Grand Prix to the young Ollie Bearman. It was his choice, accompanied by a procession of questions which, in these moments of jubilation on the highest mar