Alonso to miss Australian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso will miss the season-opening Australian Grand Prix following his accident during testing at Barcelona.

Fernando Alonso, McLaren is airlifted from the circuit in a helicopter

Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-30 leaves the pits

The McLaren team said on Tuesday that although the Spanish driver had no injuries, doctors had advised him to continue to rest following his crash, and that he would not compete in the first race of the season.

"Having performed an exhaustive series of tests and scans – some of them as recently as yesterday evening – McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso's doctors have informed him that they find him asymptomatic of any medical issue; that they see no evidence whatsoever of any injury; and that they therefore describe him as entirely healthy from neurological and cardiac perspectives alike," a McLaren statement said.

"However, Fernando's doctors have recommended to him that, following the concussion he sustained in a testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 22nd, for the time being he should seek to limit as far as is possible any environmental risk factors that could potentially result in his sustaining another concussion so soon after his previous one, so as to minimise the chances of second impact syndrome, as is normal medical procedure when treating athletes after concussions.

"In order to limit those environmental risk factors, specifically, his doctors have advised that he should not compete in the imminent Australian Grand Prix meeting, which will take place on March 13th, 14th and 15th."

Magnussen replaces him

McLaren said Alonso "understood and accepted" the decision.

Kevin Magnussen, who replaced Alonso in the final Barcelona test, will race alongside Jenson Button in Melbourne.

McLaren expects Alonso to return to the cockpit in the second race of the season at Sepang.

The statement continued: "Fernando's doctors acknowledge that he feels fit and well, and that he regards himself as ready to race, and, that being the case, they are comfortable with the fact that he has already recommenced physical training, with a view to preparing for a return to the cockpit of his McLaren-Honda car for the Malaysian Grand Prix meeting on March 27th, 28th and 29th.

"Indeed, his doctors are supportive of that ambition, satisfied as they are that he sustained no damage whatsoever during his testing accident on February 22nd.

"All at McLaren-Honda fully support Fernando's decision in respect of his doctors' advice."