Just a few hours before final practice on Saturday for Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Alex Albon suffered from appendicitis and was replaced by Formula E champion Nyck de Vries.

At the San Gerardo hospital, the laparoscopic surgery was successful, but the Thai suffered post-operative anaesthetic complications, which led to respiratory failure.

During Thursday press conference Albon admits that since he was "drugged up”, he does not remember much of what happened and tells about his race to recover in time for the Singapore Grand Prix. Is known that Marina Bay is one of the most difficult circuits in the calendar due to the weather conditions, but the Williams’ driver says he feel ready.

“I feel as fit as I can be - no pain.”

"We had a good week of training or two weeks almost to get back to where we are today. We're realistic and we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year.

"We do have to be mindful of that. But I feel good. I've been karting and it's felt OK.”

A return after only one race was seen just as a distant hope, as Albon explains: "I don't think we truthfully had in mind Singapore on the cards. But just with the way that the speed of recovery, it was definitely a possible thing.”

But only by hitting the track he will be able to see if the body is actually ready for the weekend.

Regarding losing a round, Albon called it only a "small" setback and "not a big deal”.

”When I woke up on Saturday [at Monza] and there was that decision - it's always should you risk it or not in terms of driving? But we did the right thing. Nyck did a really good job.”

After the surgery the Thai woke up "pretty much 30 minutes before the start" of the Italian GP but he was advised not to watch the race as his heartbeat accelerated, due to frustration of not being able to drive, after a Friday practice during which the car seemed to be doing great.

Immediately after recovering from surgery and the respiratory complication, Albon explains that he began to train again at a moderate pace until Monday last week when he "really started to push it”.

"We treated it like a nine to five job, training and recovery. Basically, throwing everything [at it] and day by day was getting better and better.

"Then obviously, we got to a point where the recovery was going really well. We sat long and hard to think about it. Shall we do it or not? I feel like I am ready."