“Sainz 2-0 Appendicitis”. The story behind the viral image of the day in Formula 1

The Spanish pilot Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari) has been operated on for appendicitis at the King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), a setback that has prevented him from participating in the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and he has acknowledged that he feels “much better.”

“I had the surgery without problems today and I feel much better! Thank you for all your loving messages and thank you to everyone who has cared for me these days here, especially at the King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital,” he wrote on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.

Also, in a later message, the man from Madrid joked about what happened. “Sainz 2-0 Appendicitis,” he pointed out along with two photos, one with his father, also the pilot Carlos Sainz, in the hospital and another of his own father when he underwent surgery for appendicitis. In both images the similarity of the gestures of the protagonists is observed: today Sainz Sr. occupies the place of the person who accompanied him that time… The “original” Carlos Sainz underwent appendicitis surgery four decades ago: in the photo from then he is holding the phone is Juanjo Lacalle: that was a fixed one, now it is a mobile one. Same position, same hand, same bandage, same gesture…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carlos Sainz (@carlossainz55)

“Thank you all for your messages these last 24 hours. I really feel your support,” she said. Besides, Sainz wanted to send encouragement to his team, his partner and his replacement in this Sunday’s race. “Great qualy, Ollie Bearman, in your hasty debut, not easy, and also from Lord Perceval aka Charles Leclerc. Good luck, Ferrari! ”He concluded.

Yesterday he had already published a message, to bring peace of mind to his followers and those of Ferrari. “I had a small operation today and I feel much better,” the pilot had pointed out, relieved after spending two days without locating the abdominal pain that caused him to have a fever of 39. And despite everything, compete in the two free practice sessions, before having to get out of the car and go to the hospital. Sainz will remain in hospital for a day or two more, until he can be discharged to begin his recovery ahead of the next race in Australia, in 15 days, where it is not clear if he will be able to participate.

A hectic Friday

“Starting in FP3 and for the rest of this weekend, he will be replaced by reserve pilot Oliver Bearman”Ferrari said in a statement released Friday, altering the dynamics of the day in Formula 1. Bearman, who drives for Prema Racing in Formula Two, went through the Ferrari Driver Academy. The British of 18 years He finished sixth in the Formula 2 drivers’ championship last season. “Therefore, Oliver will not be part of this round of the F2 Championship again,” Ferrari added then.

“I woke up this morning thinking I was going to start tenth in Formula 2 because of the inverted grid and later I found out that Carlos was sick. Now I’m a little frustrated that I didn’t make it to Q3.but I guess I have to be satisfied with the result”. Oliver Bearmanof 18 years and the face of a teenager, will not forget this March 8. The Carlos Sainz’s appendicitis -operation included- opened the doors of the second car Ferrari in it Saudi Arabian Grand Prixon the second date of the season Formula 1. And the English rider, who is part of the Maranello team’s program for young drivers, was there. He had gotten the pole position in the opening category, F. 2, with 1m42s217/1000. In F. 1, of course, the story is very different. With that record, not only would he have finished last: he would not even have met the maximum qualifying score of 107%. He would not have had the right to start in the race this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Buenos Aires.

“The task ahead of Bearman is enormous. Even if he knows the track, he will have to be at least 14 seconds faster than in F. 2 on a six-kilometer circuit. It is an enormous challenge. You will feel like you are on a rocket”, said specialized journalist Will Buxton before the young man took to the track with the red car. The Englishman had no time to wonder anything. He just did a few practice laps, and then turned to try to achieve fast times and go from Q1 to Q2 and from this to Q3. In the first round, Bearman had no problems. He was among the 15 best, surpassing in almost those 14 seconds his best mark in Formula 2: he nailed 1m28s984/1000. Ninth place! In his first timed round in the Great Circus. Be the youngest driver in Ferrari history, and the third in Formula 1, he did not condition it. And the boy went to Q2.

Carlos Sainz sits in his car before the start of the second practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Thursday. The next day he could no longer stand the pain and had to be replaced.Darko Bandic – AP

In that second round he did have errors, a couple, that undermined his progression. He had to throw away a fast lap attempt and his best time placed him eleventh, just 36 thousandths from the last passage to Q3. That place belonged to a compatriot, Lewis Hamiltonof Mercedes. The present and the future of F. 1 went hand in hand on the time sheet. Bearman, encouraged by his father, David, from the Prancing Horse box, had to see the rest of the classification test by the monitors. When his track engineer spoke to the car over the radio, the young man managed to apologize!: “I apologize!”he stated.

This, despite the fact that, in the improvisation of the day and his age and the responsibility for a debutant, He was just half a second behind his teammate in that round, Charles Leclercwhich came second, and six tenths behind the almighty Red Bull of three-time champion Max Verstappen. And all, in a more than complicated circuit, street and very fast traffic, where the walls threaten with blows at every moment. “Ollie did an amazing job. He only had contact with the car in practice 3 and then qualified. “I am happy for him and I hope Carlos recovers quickly,” Leclerc praised him.

THE NATION

Themes

Formula 1Carlos Sainz Jr.Carlos SainzFerrari

Other Formula 1 news

A fire. Verstappen flew in Saudi Arabia and the new golden boy was chosen “driver of the day”

Saturday TV. The Independiente-River classic, San Lorenzo plays and the best tennis in Indian Wells

“I apologize!”. Run urgently for Sainz, at 18 he is the youngest in Ferrari history and impressed well in his debut