Carlos Sainz has shown fans the incredible whirlwind 16-day recovery he made from serious surgery to win in Australia.

The Ferrari driver defied all expectations to climb back into the car from the operating table and end Max Verstappen's winning streak.

Sainz steered home a 1-2 finish for the Scuderia at Melbourne’s Albert Park, just two weeks on from having his appendix removed.

The Spaniard's surgery saw him subsequently miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and hand over the keys to British rookie Oliver Bearman.

But the 29-year-old was back by Australia and took advantage of Verstappen’s first retirement in 43 races to claim his third race win.

Sainz has now shown fans the incredible ordeal he underwent in those 16 days, having been bed-bound inside a Jeddah hospital.

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His appendicitis saw him undergo laparoscopy surgery, with the NHS advising a couple of weeks at least for an estimated recovery time - with any strenuous activity requiring even longer.

Sainz, however, was clocking north of 300km/h in Australia for FP1 after exactly 14 days, going on to race victory two days later with his stomach still bandaged.

Sainz shared a series of photos on Instagram of him looking worse for wear inside his hospital bed, as well as his subsequent recovery.

He also released a video of himself being assisted during sit-ups during strength work after his surgery as he attempted to accelerate his comeback.

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Alongside two laughing emojis, he wrote: "My road to recovery and a little tribute to the people that made this weekend happen.

"Now time to get back training, in good shape and prepare the next few races. THANK YOU!"

Sainz has already undergone a topsy-turvy 2024, which started with the news that he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Speaking after his win in Australia, the soon-to-be out-of-contract star said: "Life sometimes is crazy.

"What happened at the beginning of the year (not being renewed at Ferrari), then the appendix and the comeback and the win - a rollercoaster, but I love it."

The dramatic lengths Sainz took to be passed fit on Sunday saw him two hours a day in a hyperbaric chamber.

He breathed pure oxygen at higher pressure while also using an electromagnetic INDIBA machine for tissue repair.

"As soon as I got my appendix removed, I went on the internet and started talking with professionals and said, ‘OK, what helps to speed up recovery?’," Sainz told reporters.