Williams make decision on Carlos Sainz fitness for Brazilian GP after suffering illness

Carlos Sainz has been ruled fit to compete at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Express Sport understands. The 31-year-old Spaniard missed Thursday's media duties at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace after contracting an illness, but appeared in the paddock on Friday ahead of the first practice session.

Sainz arrived in Sao Paulo looking to avenge frustrating Grands Prix in Austin and Mexico City, but the former McLaren and Ferrari driver was forced to take a day away from the race track to recover from an unspecified illness. "Unfortunately, Carlos is unwell and will not be coming to track today," a team statement read on Thursday.

"Heading to Brazil for what will be another sprint weekend, I'm looking forward to driving around this iconic track where anything can happen," Sainz said in a team address on Thursday.

"Being a Sprint, we'll be limited on practice sessions, so we'll look to get up to speed early on car setup. Sao Paulo weather always plays a part across the weekend, so we'll look to capitalise on any opportunities we can. The Brazilian fans are so passionate about F1, so it's always a great week with a lot of support."

Williams currently boast a healthy buffer over rivals Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Sauber and Haas in the Constructors' Championship battle for fifth place. With four rounds remaining, the gap to sixth stands at 39 points, bolstered by the first podium of James Vowles' tenure in Azerbaijan, and Sainz's third-placed finish in the United States Grand Prix sprint race.

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With rain expected in Brazil this weekend, the opportunity is there for the midfield teams to score points. Just last year, Alpine enjoyed a huge surge up the standings after Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon sealed a historic double-podium in the wet behind race-winner Max Verstappen.

Alex Albon plans to use the reigning world champion's date to give Williams the upper hand on Sunday. "Max is probably the best out there when it comes to racing in the wet," he said on Thursday. "He's always very smooth on the throttle and keeps the tyres alive even when the track is changing every lap. That's something I've been analysing - it's about control, not aggression."

That said, it isn't just as easy as copying Verstappen's style. "You can watch the data all you like, but when you see how early Max commits to a line and how confident he is when grip levels are unpredictable, it's something else," Albon added. "There's a rhythm to his driving that you can't fake."