Fernando Alonso may miss the third and final testing session that starts in Barcelona on Thursday following his crash at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday.
On Monday it was confirmed that he would spend a second night in hospital as his McLaren-Honda team blamed high winds for the accident that left the double world champion with concussion.
McLaren insisted Alonso was braking and changing gear just before the accident, dismissing suggestions he could have been unconscious. However, after the collision Sebastian Vettel, who was close behind the Spaniard, said: “The speed was slow, maybe 150kph, then he turned right into the wall. It looked strange.”
As Alonso, 33, was photographed giving the thumbs-up sign from his hospital bed, McLaren said in a statement: “To provide the privacy and tranquillity required to facilitate a peaceful recuperation, he is being kept in hospital for further observation, and to recover from the effects of the medication that successfully managed his routine sedation yesterday.
“We intend to give Fernando every opportunity to make a rapid and complete recovery and will evaluate in due course whether or not he will participate in the next Barcelona test.”
Alonso, who was found conscious by an ambulance crew, was airlifted to hospital where he had CT and MRA scans “all of which were completely normal”.
McLaren have ruled out a failure of the car, which has had a number of reliability issues since the reunion with the engine suppliers Honda for the 2015 season.
The team’s statement continued: “Even at this early stage we have been able to reach some firm conclusions. [Alonso’s] car ran wide at the entry to turn three, which is a fast uphill right-hander, allowing it to run on to the AstroTurf that lines the outside of the track. A consequent loss of traction caused a degree of instability, spitting it back towards the inside of the circuit, where it regained traction and struck the wall side-on.
“Our findings indicate that the accident was caused by the unpredictably gusty winds at that part of the circuit at that time and which had affected other drivers … We can categorically state that there is no evidence that indicates that Fernando’s car suffered mechanical failure of any kind. We can also confirm that absolutely no loss of aerodynamic pressure was recorded, despite the fact that it was subjected to a significant level of G-force.
“Finally we can also disclose that no electrical discharge or irregularity of any kind occurred in the car’s ERS system, either before, during or after the incident.”
Alonso’s manager, Luis García Abad, told Spanish media he “doesn’t think there will be any problems” about the driver making the start line in Melbourne and he also denied reports that Alonso had been feeling dizzy before the crash.
“I deny that Fernando was feeling unwell prior to the incident,” he said. “The car had grip, there was tremendous wind and he went into the wall, the rest is speculation. The car telemetry has stated that he was correcting from left to right. Fernando was hitting the brake and changing gears until the moment of impact.”
With or without Alonso, McLaren are now preparing for Barcelona in the shadow of two test sessions that have been little short of disastrous and erased any sense of optimism the Woking team may have had about the new season, which starts in Australia on 15 March.
Alonso, who has won 32 grands prix, rejoined McLaren this season after a disappointing fifth and final campaign with Ferrari. He won back-to-back world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 before spending one season at McLaren in 2007.
