Jeremy Clarkson reveals biggest F1 fear after Carlos Sainz comeback victory

Carlos Sainz looks stunned as Jeremy Clarkson speaks in an interview with Sky Sports — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Stories

Jeremy Clarkson reveals biggest F1 fear after Sainz comeback victory

The presenter believes F1 is getting easy

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 2 April 2024 21:57

Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has questioned the difficulty of Formula 1 following Carlos Sainz's Australian Grand Prix win.

Sainz cruised to victory in Melbourne, brilliantly overtaking Max Verstappen before the latter suffered a rear right brake failure and had to retire from the race.

Article continues under video

The victory came just two weeks after Sainz was ruled out of the Saudi Arabian GP with appendicitis, being replaced by 18-year-old Brit Ollie Bearman, who shone in his place.

Sainz's remarkable recovery from his hospital bed to race winner in just two weeks has seen the Ferrari driver receive plenty of praise, with the phenomenal achievement showing that it's unfathomable that the 29-year-old does not currently have a drive for next season.

Carlos Sainz stormed to victory in Australia

Carlos Sainz struggled after appendicitis surgery

F1's difficulty questioned by Jeremy Clarkson

However, Clarkson believes that Sainz's brilliance reflects more on F1, questioning quite how hard the sport really is.

“Just a few days after having his appendix out, Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz flew to Australia, climbed into his car and won the race," Clarkson described to The Sun.

“Naturally, many people saw this as a heroic display of stiff-upper-lip determination and spunk.

“I wonder, though. We keep being told that these F1 cars are road-going fighter jets, that they are a volcanic orgy of noise and G-forces. And that you need to be superhuman to control one.

“Really? I only ask because Carlos, pictured in hospital, was plainly in some discomfort before the race but he seemed to manage for nearly two hours in the car.

“Which leads me to believe that walking up to a Formula 1 car is actually harder these days than driving it.”

Mercedes Formula 1 Carlos Sainz Australian Grand Prix Jeremy Clarkson