Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Australian Grand Prix qualifying session, surprising a few people, as he hadn’t shown the fastest pace throughout the weekend. Another man who surprised the paddock was Carlos Sainz, who locked out the front row alongside the Red Bull of Verstappen after having topped the timing charts in both Q1 and Q2 despite not feeling at his best inside the car. After qualifying, however, Sainz made it plenty clear that he would be going after Verstappen with everything he’s got come race day on Sunday.

What’s noteworthy about Sainz’s qualifying performance is the fact that he was not at ease inside his Ferrari, with discomfort stemming from the recent surgery to remove his appendix. Despite this, his performance on the track remained largely unaffected. Reflecting on his journey in the last couple of weeks, Sainz expressed gratitude for being able to compete after a challenging period. He acknowledged feeling some discomfort while driving but emphasized that it didn’t hinder his ability to push the limits.

“If I had been told five days ago that I could fight for pole position here, I would have accepted it immediately. Unfortunately, I left a few tenths in Q3 today. That’s why the feelings are somewhat mixed,” Carlos Sainz told Sky Sports as he also acknowledged that he will go flat out to challenge the Dutchman. “If I want to beat Max tomorrow, I have to show 100 percent. I don’t feel quite comfortable in the cockpit yet. But at least I have no more pain. So I can push completely.”

Despite missing out on the pole by less than three-tenths of a second, the Spaniard was happy with the progress the team has been able to make in terms of its prospect of challenging Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz was pleasantly surprised to be able to challenge Max Verstappen

After missing out on Jeddah, Carlos Sainz was surprised to find himself in a situation to challenge Verstappen for pole position. Although Verstappen ultimately secured his 3rd pole of the season with a stunning final flying lap, Sainz managed to split the two Red Bulls, finishing ahead of Sergio Perez in third place.

Sainz expressed astonishment at his achievement, considering the challenges he faced in the weeks leading up to the race. He mentioned spending numerous days in bed during his recovery period, unsure if he would be able to participate in the race weekend. “I was almost not believing it, especially after how tough it’s been but I’m very happy to be here. I’m very happy to be challenging the Red Bulls this weekend. I was a bit rusty at the beginning yesterday, but then I got up to speed and I could finally find the pace and I’m feeling good with the car,” Sainz said post-qualifying.

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Later on, Sainz explained how missing the qualifying session in Jeddah perhaps affected his pace today as he is still in the phase of getting familiar with the SF-24. “I didn’t do quali in Jeddah and I’m probably a bit out of shape also. I’m probably still learning this new car, I missed the full qualifying session in Jeddah and the full race. So probably there were things in Jeddah I could have learned through quali that I could have applied today that I couldn’t apply in Q3,“ the Spaniard added.

What are your predictions for the race on Sunday? Will Carlos Sainz be able to challenge Max or will the Dutchman pull away from the very start as he has now become used to doing? Let us know in the comments down below.

Carlos Sainz “Will Drive for Himself” Without Listening to Any Team Orders at Ferrari