Vasseur: Nobody expected “fantastic” F1 Australia win from recovering Sainz
After missing the Jeddah race, Carlos Sainz focused on his recovery for two weeks before returning to the cockpit for Friday practice at Albert Park. Despite not having trained or run in the Ferrari simulator, he had the edge on teammate Charles Leclerc in qualifying and passed Max Verstappen during the opening laps to lead a one-two for the Italian team. Sainz’s performance was praised by the team, with team principal Vasseur highlighting his determination and recovery after being in the hospital just two weeks prior. Vasseur downplayed the small advantage Sainz had over Leclerc, emphasizing that classification is one thing, but pace is another. Despite strategic challenges during the race, Sainz’s knowledge of tire degradation helped him maintain consistency and secure a good result for Ferrari.
