McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso will miss this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix because of his accident during the season-opener in Australia.
Even though Alonso got out of the car seemingly unhurt, a 90-minute thorough medical examination at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit on Thursday morning ruled him unfit to take part in the race.
According to the FIA,“two sets of chest CT scans were compared and it was decided that there was insufficient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds. A repeat chest scan has been requested before the Chinese Grand Prix and the results will be considered before allowing him to race there.”
Until he gets the green light to climb back into his MP4-31, Alonso’s place will go to McLaren reserve driver and reigning GP2 champ Stoffel Vandoorne – already en route to Bahrain to make his F1 debut.
Autosport reports that Alonso’s current injuries involve broken ribs, a pneumothorax and the risk of further lung damage – which became increasingly worrying as the pain in his chest increased in the days after the crash.
“The risk is driving because in F1 there is a unique position in the car and with the g-forces the fracture could move into the lung as well,” explained the Spanish driver. “This is not a broken leg or a broken arm where you can deal with pain. This is in the chest where there are some organs. The problem is the rib [damage] is too fresh, and still not completely improved.”
If you’re already getting a sense of “deja vu”, it’s because Alonso missed a race last season as well early on, also because of a high speed crash.
The double world champion had to be airlifted to the hospital after losing control of his car during 2015 winter testing in Barcelona – which led to him not being on the grid in Melbourne.
This time around, it was the first race of the year that will be keeping him out until China, when hopefully he will get the ‘OK’ from his doctors.