Update (10:20 a.m. ET): Ferrari provided an update on Carlos Sainz shortly following Bearman finishing 10th in the last free practice session before qualifying:
Original story as follows: Carlos Sainz will not partake in the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after being diagnosed with appendicitis, the team announced Friday.
Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman will be making his F1 debut this weekend while subbing in for Sainz. Bearman, in his second season of F2 with Prema Racing, will take no further part in the weekend’s F2 schedule as a result of this development.
Sainz had noted earlier in the weekend that he was feeling unwell and took to Twitter late Thursday evening to share that he was working to recover from a sickness that “kept [him] in bed the last 24 hours.” Ferrari’s statement said that Sainz will require surgery. No statement was given on his expected recovery time.
Bearman currently sits 19th in F2 standings, and finished last season sixth in the championship, collecting four wins and six podiums across 26 races. Sainz, entering his final season with Ferrari, opened the year with a third-place finish in last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
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Alex is the IndyCar Content Director at Frontstretch, having initially joined as an entry-level contributor in 2021. He also serves as Managing Director of The Asia Cable, a publication focused on the international affairs and politics of the Asia-Pacific region which he co-founded in 2023. With previous experience in China, Japan and Poland, Alex is particularly passionate about the international realm of motorsport and the politics that make the wheels turn - literally - behind the scenes.
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That’s not good and I hope that Carlos will get well soon before he gets back out on the race track.