Sauber’s Pascal Wehrlein hopes that he will be fit to make his Sauber race debut in Bahrain next weekend.
He was replaced in Australia by Antonio Giovinazzi due to doubts about his fitness, and the Italian is again racing in Shanghai, whilst Wehrlein is not present at all.
His prolonged absence has led to speculation that his injuries are more serious than he has claimed, or that there is a dispute between his employers Mercedes and Sauber engine suppliers Ferrari which is delaying his return to the cockpit. Speaking to Bild, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff said: “Of course you could infer that this is a political struggle.