Carlos Sainz has successfully passed the initial medical examinations conducted by the FIA in Melbourne, coinciding with the day he was seen bicycling around the Albert Park circuit.
This development is a solid indicator that the 29-year-old Spaniard, who recently had to undergo an urgent appendectomy in Saudi Arabia, will be in good shape to compete in this weekend's race.
Ferrari has confirmed, "Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car," although the promising Jeddah substitute, Oliver Bearman, who is also in Melbourne for the Formula 2 support race, will be kept as a backup.
During his outing in Melbourne, Sainz opted for a more forgiving mountain bike over the traditional road bike, and maintained a notably upright seating position.
He has expressed intentions to mitigate stress on his appendectomy incisions this weekend by using a padded cushion beneath his seatbelts.
According to Sky Italia, "The Ferrari driver is a little weakened, but he underwent medical checks with the FIA's doctors who found him in good shape. He has also lost a little weight, but is fine."
Sainz, speaking to the press on Thursday, mentioned he feels "better every day" after having spent "a lot of time in bed" the previous week.
"I'm not at 100 percent yet," he confessed, "but I'm confident that I'm fit enough to drive a race. We'll see tomorrow."
