Fernando Alonso ruled out of Australian GP following concussion

Fernando Alonso will not take part in Formula One's season-opening Australian Grand Prix on the advice of his doctors

The McLaren driver suffered a concussion in a heavy crash in testing less than two weeks ago and despite being described as 'asymptomatic' and 'entirely healthy', it has been decided to hold him out of action when the F1 circus kicks back into gear in Melbourne next weekend. The former world champion's seat in will be filled by test driver Kevin Magnussen, who drove for the team last season and will partner team-mate Jenson Button. A McLaren statement read:

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. 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 22^nd, 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 13^th, 14^th and 15^th.

It is hoped the Spaniard, who is already back in training, will be cleared to race when the championship moves on to Malaysia at the end of the month.