Carlos Sainz faced a challenging time during the Thursday practice session in Saudi Arabia due to battling a stomach bug. The Spaniard revealed that he had a rough 24 hours before taking to the track, though he expressed relief at being able to participate despite feeling unwell. He emphasized the difficulty of driving an F1 car under such conditions, especially on a demanding circuit with high G-forces. Sainz acknowledged the struggle during the practice sessions, particularly during long runs, where his stomach discomfort affected his performance. And now, Sainz has been ruled out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after being diagnosed with appendicitis.

According to a recent update from Ferrari‘s official X handle, Carlos’ condition will require surgical intervention. As a result, Carlos Sainz will not be able to participate in the remaining activities of the weekend, starting from FP3. To fill his spot, Ferrari has called upon their reserve driver, Oliver Bearman, to take over driving duties for the remainder of the event, and thus he will be unable to continue competing in this round of the F2 Championship.

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Bearman who is both Ferrari’s reserve driver and a challenger to the F2 title has the opportunity of a lifetime to impress the F1 paddock in Saudi Arabia.

Oliver Bearman becomes the 97th driver to race for the Scuderia as he replaces Carlos Sainz

Sainz’s troubles began before the race weekend even kicked off, as he skipped his usual pre-event media duties at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Ferrari confirmed the unfortunate news of the Spaniard’s impending surgery on Friday morning, officially ruling Sainz out of action. Expressing their concern for Sainz’s well-being, Ferrari issued a statement wishing him a speedy recovery from appendicitis.

Appendicitis isn’t a stranger to the Formula 1 paddock. Alex Albon went through a similar ordeal before the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. Like Sainz, Albon had to undergo surgery, with Nyck de Vries stepping in to replace him. Now, it’s Bearman’s turn to rise to the occasion, stepping up from his role as a reserve driver.

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At just 18 years old, Bearman’s rise to the Formula 1 stage is remarkable. With limited experience in the sport’s top tier, he previously had a taste of F1 machinery during testing with Ferrari and made a couple of FP1 appearances for Haas last year. Despite his young age, Bearman has shown promise in the Formula 2 feeder series, clinching pole position at the Jeddah track ahead of his sudden promotion to the Ferrari race seat.

The motorsport world will be watching closely to see how the young driver handles the pressure of competing at the highest level of racing. With his talent and determination, Bearman has the perfect opportunity to make a lasting impression on the Formula 1 grid.