Martin Brundle has shared an observation about Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Sainz qualified on the front row on his return after undergoing surgery in Saudi Arabia a couple of weeks ago.
And speaking during Sky Sports F1’s live coverage, Brundle revealed what he noticed about the Spaniard’s health.
Sainz looked like he could bag pole position for Ferrari after topping the times in Q1 and Q2.
However, championship leader Max Verstappen proved to be too fast in the top ten shoot-out.
In the end, the gap between the drivers stood at just under three tenths of a second.
It wasn’t clear if Sainz would be able to race in Melbourne so soon after undergoing an appendectomy.
F2 racer Oliver Bearman, who deputised for the former McLaren man in Jeddah, was on standby.
Martin Brundle says Carlos Sainz still not 100%
During Q2, Brundle said he’d noticed that Sainz was still moving cautiously when he walked through the paddock.
The two-time Grand Prix winner is ‘still getting back up to speed’ off the circuit despite his impressive pace on it.
He said: “Carlos Sainz is driving well, isn’t he?
“I watched him walk through the paddock earlier on today.
“He still wasn’t striding along. He was still measured in his steps.
“Obviously, he’s still getting back up to speed after his operation.”
Sainz delivers timely performance
Sainz is looking to put himself front and centre in the shop window as he prepares to leave Ferrari.
The Scuderia have signed Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season to race alongside Charles Leclerc.
He started the season strongly with a driver-of-the-day-winning charge to third at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
But he would have been itching to get back in the car after illness sidelined him for round two.
Sainz’s determination was clear when he visited the paddock on race day in Saudi Arabia, against doctors’ orders.
Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says Bearman’s impressive stand-in showing was a wake-up call.
It showed that there are ‘a lot of very good young kids’ ready and waiting to take Sainz’s place on the grid.
On Sunday, he’ll hope to take his take his third win in as many seasons, but he knows Verstappen has won the first two races in dominant fashion.
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